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Maria Milans del Bosch’s Catskills home is attuned to the changing seasons. Sunlight pours into the double-height living room, where a Stûv fireplace and radiant floors keep the space warm in winter.

“I envision people writing their books, music, refuelling their creative flow,” says Castillero. He should know about its energizing power more than anyone, really: it brought him back to his love of architecture, after all. “It’s truly my new happy place.”

Custom cherry cabinetry with integrated handles and sliding doors brings a furniture-like component to the open kitchen. Three 1960s Scandinavian flush mounts by Arnold Wiigs Fabrikker brighten the soapstone counter, while two cognac leather stools by Afteroom for MENU are tucked beneath.

The exterior was sealed through shou sugi ban, an environmentally friendly fireproofing practice common in Japanese architecture. The black exterior seems to disappear into the evergreens from one angle, and pops against the white snow from another.

"One visit over the winter, and we drove up to find four feet of snow covering the driveway and stairs down to the cabin,

The couple took advantage of numerous municipal programs when landscaping the backyard. Mandy recently completed a free course through LADWP, who also promotes resources for the SoCal Turf Replacement Program, to become a certified California Native Plant Landscape: “There is an amazing amount of knowledge and resources for transitioning yards with more native/drought-tolerant plants through LADWP and the Theodore Payne Foundation,” says Mandy.

"My goal was to carry on the client’s family legacy by creating a very special place that took inspiration from the landscape,” explains architect Tom Kundig.

The living area feels spacious and full of light despite its modest square footage thanks to its being double-height. A collection of old ship paintings and vintage ship netting help add to the nautical feel.

Surrounded by forest and accessed via a fairy-tale bridge, the resilient forever home showcases the strength of cross-laminated timber.

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.

Set behind tall hedges and wrapped in ivy, the A-lister’s former home is a plant lover’s paradise.

The outdoor areas were designed with two perspectives in mind. “Typically people focus on making the house look beautiful from the outside,” says Briana. “Because of all the windows, I wanted to also consider how we experience the outside from the inside.

With an eye to making the home eco-friendly, both structures were built of prefabricated cross-laminated timber, while large openings, like the sliders in the kitchen, promote cross-ventilation.

Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

Yellow vinyl floor tile defines the new living room and keeps the interior from veering too industrial. “You need to offset the brick with something simple,” says Tom. “Otherwise, you get too many textures.” The lights and coffee table were found at local vintage stores.