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At the end of the interior is a small loft; the flue from the downstairs fireplace rises through it.

“These clients really wanted it to be as dead accurate as it could be,” architect Jordan Snittjer says of this Chicago town house’s masonry, which transitions to an overhauled interior and a glassy rear extension.

Architect Reiichi Ikeda renovated this house in Jinseki, Japan, in two phases, starting with the main house (center) and annex (left).

A Velux skylight brings natural light into the bedroom in the rental unit.

The ground floor of the home features wide spaces that open out to greenery. “You don’t need walls everywhere to make the house feel big,” explains Eduardo Ugalde from All Arquitectura. “By creating a large garden on the site that is open to the sky, you create a feeling of spaciousness.”

The kitchen anchors the home as the central hub — cementing its importance in the family’s life. With light streaming in from the skylight above, a circular island includes recessed Bocci outlets at the perimeter to power dedicated workstations for Meera’s baking classes. “I love the kitchen. It’s probably my favorite spot,” she says. “Baking brings me joy.”

Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP used 87 translucent bricks to reframe a family’s connection to nature and the city.

Located steps from the beach in Kent, England, the recently renovated structure has a Flemish-bond brick facade, limewashed interiors, and a striking steel staircase.

Repositioning the original staircase transforms the new apartment, created the experience of a continuous second floor while adding a hidden study beneath the stairs, which lead to the downstairs bedroom.

Lime plaster covers the walls and ceiling in the second bedroom. The artwork is by Wasted Rita.

The walls, floor, and ceiling are all covered in waterproof lime plaster, Mortex by Beal.

A stainless steel, wall-mounted sink appears to float, as does the steel shelf below, and the pipes are hidden in the wall.