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Sitting jauntily on its block, this renovated residence in Seattle’s Mount Baker neighborhood retained the original home’s footprint. The architect (and daughter of the homeowner) opened up the living spaces inside and overhauled the exterior and landscaping to give it a more contemporary presence. Cambium Landscape created the outdoor spaces which perfectly balance hardscape with greenery.

Tom says he left the concrete vaults deliberately rough and unfinished to create “a contemporary experience of space and light that feels rooted in the past.”

The glass and steel entrance that connects the 17th-century tower to the rest of the house.

“We chose materials that would age with dignity, because they value things that deepen over time,” Bart explains of the couple and their contrasting selections of warm wood and glass.

Floor plan of Walnut Expansion by Wittman Estes

Floor plan of Collectors’ Cottage by dSPACE Studio Architecture

Floor plan of Being Turquoise by SUPRBLK Studio

The fireplace is a salute to midcentury-modern design. Brick is used both here in the living room and in the den.

Adair has long wished for Togo chairs, but as much as she loves the design, she tries not to be too precious about it. “We let the kids use them how they want, and they’re perfect fort furniture,” she says. “They’re really durable. It’s a design that makes architect parents happy.”

Sectional perspective.

In Chile's Chiloé Archipelago, architect Guillermo Acuña developed a 12-acre island for his friends and family to unwind, first with a boathouse, later with pathway-connected cabins at the water's edge. Design details include glazed walls, eco-friendly pine, and a bright red palette that calls to mind the intensely colored chilco flowers that bloom here come spring and summer.

Whitefish Poolhouse & Gallery

“Where we let loose was on the window,” Matt says. “It’s an aluminium window frame, which is bushfire compliant and easy to install, but the way that we detailed it was about hiding the frame so that the eye is drawn into the space.”