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The sprawling 5,200-square-foot residence by The Up Studio is sited in a fairly secluded and densely-wooded area of Old Westbury, New York, surrounded by mature oak and maple trees. The home’s front facade—with undulating gables and long, winding entry—is undeniably cinematic. In contrast to the traditionally-influenced front, the rear of the home embraces a more modern design sensibility. Rotated perpendicularly, the L-shaped configuration and wall of windows from Marvin maximizes natural light flowing into the home, and encourages unobstructed sightlines from the interior to the lush landscape outside.

The renovation preserved the original facade of the 1914 Craftmsen-style home, while opening up the interior and employing numerous resilient, health-conscious design techniques.

The café’s polished concrete floors are ground down to “expose some of the aggregate,” Mike says. Vintage leather chairs balance a custom banquette, upholstered in a forest-green wool felt by Kravet.

“It takes a particular type of person to want to live here because it is slightly isolated from the city,” says Anna. “But that also invites a lot of creative possibilities.”

After: "We wanted to restore the missing components back to their 1890s original form, while inserting additive elements that would transform a schoolhouse with classrooms into a building for apartments and modern day living," says Brian Rome, the principal of Rome Office.

In the living area, existing built-in seating is complemented by Mies van der Rohe lounge chairs and custom coffee tables by Michael James Moran.

The entrance to home is defined by two Foo dogs, which are feng shui symbols of protection—and these dogs also give the home its name. The board-formed concrete of the main living wing has been left as is, creating a play of constantly changing shadows. Over time, weather will naturally soften these joints, and the look of the home will subtly evolve.

Backdrop’s After Hours, a soft charcoal hue, gives Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown’s home in Woodland Hills, California, sleek curb appeal. Lund Sconces by Kuzco Lighting punctuate the exterior, and the streamlined garage doors are by Amarr.

Terreo Studio aimed to make this seven-unit apartment complex look “unrecognizable, so it stays a mystery from the outside.” From the white stone facades, through the interior marble and complimentary soft palette of the furnishings, to the open floor plan that meanders between courtyards, the architects took cues from Grecian architecture: Natural materials are used in abundance to create a structure that embraces the environment.

The cabin is constructed predominantly with plywood that Christie finished with a custom whitewash of 4:1 water to white paint, with a dash of green. "I wanted it pale,

The home went through an 18-month renovation period.

An existing, tall Douglas fir stands sentinel at the left corner of the property outside the concrete wall. Pattison planted Colorado blue spruces in front of the Corten steel infills.