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When designing the shutters, privacy was a concern, but so was allowing the right amount of daylight in, especially on rainy, gloomy days. Leader and Sarah liked the way the circular cutouts created balls of light that danced around the room.

In the spa-like primary bathroom—reconfigured so the tub sits directly beneath an existing skylight—basil cement tiles from Clé Tile complement a countertop and surround in mint verde terrazzo from Concrete Collaborative. “Green is my favorite color,” says Nicole. “It connects to nature, which I’m inspired by every day.”

Wood salvaged from the previous home clads the kitchen unit, topped in stainless steel.

The backsplash is ‘Hunter Green’ ceramic tile by Fireclay Tile, and pops of green became a theme throughout. The counters are ‘Faro White’ by Silestone.

The strips of cedar on the ceiling that fan out from the ridge beam are “meant to evoke the canopy of the surrounding conifers,” says the firm. The built-in cabinetry throughout is Sapele.

Some examples of “Dutch Wave” planting in Piet Oudolf’s garden in Hummelo (2018) and in the Vlinderhof (butterfly garden) in Máximapark in Utrecht.

The new addition is accessed through a set of doors that connect to the original house. "As our kids get older, we want them and their friends to feel comfortable hanging out here," says homeowner Milvi Tiislar. "Sometimes, when we have other families over, the adults will all retreat to this space, let the kids have the house, and close the doors!"

Metal-framed glass doors slide open and connect the covered terrace to the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space.

Madalena plays in the outdoor shower, from Portuguese company Bruma, which Ana settled on after inspecting multiple options.

For Ana, it was important that guests could gather throughout the open ground floor. Her kitchen and living room flow into each other. Everyone can relax on the mustard Togo sofa from Ligne Roset in the living room or pull up a Hiroshima chair at the custom Tomaz Viana table by the kitchen.

Aalap, who had originally suggested the idea of the climbing wall, was equally committed to creating a fun haven for the children. "But he was also inspired to create bold exciting design moments

“When I do a headboard, people will say ‘We want to put a shelf here or a sconce will attach here,’” says Yoshimoto. “And I'm like, don't do that because then it is only a headboard. If it’s not, then it's a sculptural thing that is acting as a headboard. As soon as you put a sconce on it, put wiring in—it is a headboard and it's lost its artistic ability to be a sculpture. If you don't want this to be a headboard, you could just hang it on the wall, and it's a sculpture. You could lean it on the wall on its side and it's still a sculpture.”

The floor-to-ceiling Marvin Ultimate Sliding doors in the living and dining area lead to the cantilevered deck and frame uninterrupted views of the surrounding meadow and hills while flooding the space with natural light.

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In rural Quebec, La Shed Architecture designed a simple gabled home that echoes the form of the region’s traditional barns.