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New York City–based GRT Architects designed this 1,500-square-foot, cedar-shingled house in Millbrook, New York for a young family who were living in a Brooklyn one-bedroom before moving upstate.

Client, Marianne, and architect, Binke Lendhardt, one of the founders of Crossboundaries, met in Beijing 15 years ago through mutual friends. When she bought the boat, Marianne wanted to bridge Eastern and Western concepts of design and so approached Crossboundaries. In keeping with this approach, the boat is named Fàng Sōng 放松—which translates from Chinese into “Relax!”—representing a link to Marianne’s life and experiences in China.

A pair of art appreciators used their collected curious and an artwork by Tayo Heuser as a starting point for turning an odd townhome into a sweet family residence.

Los Angeles–based writer Leslie Longworth knew she’d found the perfect retreat when she spotted a five-acre lot in Pioneertown. Immersed in the rugged beauty of Joshua Tree with a dirt road for access, it was an ideal creative space. Seeking a low-impact build, she hired prefab company Cover to draft, construct, and install a custom home. The prefab came complete with fixtures, finishes, Wolf Sub-Zero appliances, and a state-of-the-art radiant heating and cooling system. In order to design around endangered Joshua trees, boulders, and the view, Cover used a combination of 3D mapping via drone imagery and handheld photos.

Floor Plan of Palms Residence by Olson Kundig

Gillian’s yoga studio is lit by sconces from Oly Studio and a vintage lotus pendant by Feldman Lighting. The magnolia in the garden beyond provides ample shade.

A freestanding tub by Mirabelle and an antique bronze tub filler by Kallista bring a spa feel to the primary bathroom. The chandelier is from Hector Finch.

A hand-glazed mural by Alexa Williams of Wolf City Design brings a dynamic vibe to the wall behind the Viking range. "It almost looks like graffiti, which I thought was a cheeky nod to living in a place like Venice,

Gillian’s dog, Moby, naps in a patch of sun in the kitchen. Gillian opted not to have a backsplash behind the sink to maximize the view of what she calls the "wild jungle landscape

Chairs from West Elm join a dining table by Roman & Williams Guild, while a corner chair/loveseat by House of Morrison occupies a corner of the living area. Antique glass insets adorn the hearth and the custom storage unit between the two spaces.

"The sunken living room was my way of bringing Tom into my retro-hippie world,

Outdoor furniture from Frontgate sits on the dining terrace off the kitchen. Immense sliders enable gatherings to move indoors and out.

Kundig designed deep overhangs to reduce solar heat gain in the living/dining room. Throughout, the bronze-framed windows and doors are by Dynamic Fenestration.

A Quartzite path leads to the entrance, where a work by Rashid Johnson and a reflection of the dragon blood tree that Gillian calls Sid Vicious are visible through the window at right. "I named all the trees after musicians,

On the covered terrace, homeowner Gillian Wynn paired a daybed made of recycled plastic with a Gamelatron sculpture by Aaron Taylor Kuffner.

Architect Tom Kundig set the living/dining room in a pavilion that opens to the garden on three sides. “This house is in a highly developed neighborhood, yet when you walk in, you forget that,” he says. “Indoors and outdoors aren’t two separate things.”

The home sits among the trees on the western edge of Martha’s Vineyard. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors on both sides of the home can be opened up to allow the ocean breezes to pass through the interior. “The effect is magical,” says Joel Turkel, co-founder and creative director of Turkel Design. “The home is both sheltered and in nature.”