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Woods & Water northwest view

The upper volume of the blackened pine–clad home juts out toward the horizon for sweeping views of the ocean.

From the sky

The primary bedroom is "almost like two bedrooms in one,

The large overhang limits sun exposure in warmer months and the triple glazed windows open up to passively cool the inside.

The original home was converted into a bedroom level, and given a second-story addition and roof deck. The dark exterior color, a charcoal-eggplant hue, lets the landscape colors stand out in contrast. “The existing house roof became the roof deck,” says Rogers. “And then I just shifted over the addition so that it floated over the landscape.”

The stone slab forms a display niche in the cabinetry, and syncs up with the materials used elsewhere in the house. The step up, and the flooring material change, designates the boundary between foyer and the rest of the home.

Custom oak storage sets the tone for the house, with the shoes stored behind the slatted door. A large window creates connection between the exterior landing and the interior foyer, as does the continuous slate flooring.

Techo-Bloc’s Blu Grande slab in Greyed Nickel creates a sophisticated backdrop for this epic outdoor kitchen and dining setting with a quartet of playful timber swings—not only is it practical, but the large size of the pavers reduces the need for joints that can collect crumbs and create unlevel surfaces for furniture. The covered kitchen and dining area is defined at the ground level with Borealis slab in Smoked Pine—an elegant wood imitation patio slab that retains the warmth of wood but features innovative Klean-Bloc technology that eliminates the need for maintenance.

Give the traditional driveway a green makeover with Aquastorm, an anti-flooding permeable driveway paver with a strong linear identity. The eco-friendly hardscape paver was designed by Techo-Bloc to allow grass to grow between it, so you don’t have to choose between the beauty and functionality of concrete and the visual softness of grass.

The renovation didn't change the structure of the home, and although it was nearly 70 years old when the project started, it was in good condition.

At the entry, Kurth created a glassed alcove for an exterior sculpture using Series 600 Window Walls from Western Window Systems.

Illustration by Lohnes + Wright

A rotating fireplace, a glazed facade, and a cozy sauna complete this wonderful woodland retreat.

Clad in Western red cedar siding and punctuated with floor-to-ceiling windows, this minimalist two-bedroom home boasts sunrise views over the Sonoma hills.

The Phoenix home of designers and builders Sarah Swartz Wessel and Ethan Wessel sits amid desert-friendly trees and plants. The couple bought the property in 1998 and worked on the house for a decade. Juxtaposed with limestone floors, wood-beamed ceilings, and walls of hand-troweled plaster and board-formed concrete, glass is strategically placed throughout the 4,000-square-foot expanse to frame slivers of landscape and sky or open wide to reveal gardens of various sizes, which the couple also designed.

Michael D'Angelo Landscape Architecture provided a new master plan that includes grassy areas for lawn games, a fire pit, and new plantings.