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This thatch-roofed brick cottage in Nieby, Germany, was originally built by tenant farmers or crofters from a nearby estate in the late 1800s. It stands on a small triangular plot of land surrounded by barley fields and faces toward the Geltinger Birk nature reserve. The home’s street-facing facade was preserved and restored with only a minimal, black-steel dormer window belying the more substantial alterations which open onto the private rear yard. A subtle black-framed addition containing an oak-lined living space is tucked under the thatched roof and opens onto a sunken timber terrace while large picture windows are cut into the historic brick volume in areas which had been damaged from the previous additions.

Fuse Architects took a 1960s-built home in Pajaro Dunes, California, and renovated it as a retreat for their clients, a family of five. “The idea was to take the existing house and give it new life—one that met the needs and aesthetics of our designer clients,” says the firm. “Although the shape and form of the remodeled home remains relatively unchanged from its original design, we wanted to take advantage of the ocean’s proximity by opening up the walls and providing framed views of the coast line.”

Before: The couple’s barn on their 20-acre property in New York is well-sited on a hill beyond the main house, so feels tucked into its woodsy setting. The structure was bare bones, but solid.

Musician Drew Straus enlisted Laun Studio to transform his Silver Lake home into a soothing escape.