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Set below Highway 101 and the Amtrak train line, the cedar-shingled duplex perches on piers anchored to the seawall.

A private residence in Brooklyn, NY, by Hans Lorei that embraces a moody palette.

Custom matchbooks are cutesy, emblazoned with monikers and logos, and part of the growing phenomenon of people treating their domestic spaces and personal “brands” as interconnected.

Builder Nick Maimone drew on his artistic background and the ’60s counterculture movement as he reenvisioned a home set where the Russian River meets the Pacific in Northern California.

The design team retained the old supports, which now frame the kitchen. Jessica picked DeVol cabinets and systems for their traditional-meets-streamlined style.

Kalon founder and creative director Michaele Simmering has worked from her in-home studio since she launched her business.

The new open floor plan, where once there were dividing walls of each space.

The primary bedroom cabin sits in a natural clearing amongst the trees, allowing for a water view and copious sunlight. The boulder-studded coast offers gently sloping paths to the ocean for a quick dip.

In their query letter, Ben and Sarah were clear that they wanted a home that could accommodate all of life’s messes. “We don't want a white display kitchen that only looks good when it's clean and not in use. We want our kitchen to be able to work hard. We love to cook and when we do, there are usually lots of things on the go and a mess being made.”

In total, the property includes two lots, with a flat pad and room for a pool in the middle.

"This is my favorite space," Melissa says of their bedroom. "I spend a lot of time in our bedroom reading or watching the kids play outside. It is very cozy and peaceful." Brian built a playhouse for the kids, which his daughter uses as an art studio.

Once dark and cloistered, this residence revamped by Jon Powell Architecture now revels in daylight, bright color, and garden views.