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If you're looking for a unique way to explore the wonderful world of Bali, Seascape Villa might be the perfect place to start. Designed by Bali–based Italian architect—and founder of the design studio Word of Mouth—Valentina Audrito, this relaxing retreat is an oceanfront property on the island of Nusa Lembongan, just southeast of Bali's main island. The open floor plan allows the space to feel bright and airy. The upstairs living room is one large net, “the biggest hammock on Nusa Lembongan.” Here, guests can lounge while interacting with people in the kitchen or living room below.

Kitchen featuring custom sustainable joinery by The Nest, recycled brick wall with no VOC paint, and photography by Brooke Holm (represented by Modern Times).

On a trip to Naoshima, Japan, the Houston newlyweds behind Robertson Design fell in love with Tadao Ando’s concrete-composed museums. This led the couple to create a residence of their own comprised of a low concrete wall, concrete cube, and box clad in Siberian larch. The indoors are rounded out with white oak, marble, and leather-finished granite.

On a side wall, sleek barn doors open to reveal a storage area for bikes. Stairs near the garage entrance, which features a door from Renlita, lead to a vaulted loft that was originally intended as an exercise room but is now used by Rakesh as an office.

A courtyard centered within the home’s footprint promotes the outdoor grange lifestyle. An uninterrupted boardform concrete wall seemingly pours into the pavement to provide a built-in lounge. Overhead, roofing extends to shade the patio from the California sun. Etched into the concrete patio, a bocce ball court offers another palliative pastime. The knife-edge pool, a beloved staple within Bittoni Architects’ portfolio, mimics a lake with its turquoise hue.

The car port shares part of the lower level, providing easy, direct access to the bedrooms.

"The property does not have a conventional backyard, so the pool is a place where the adults can get some exercise, and the two young children can play. From here, the evening sun streams through the slide-fold doors, creating a lovely ambiance," Schaer explains.

While the idea of a motorcycle shed might not initially scream "elegant she shed," there's a lot to love in this shed by Drop Structures. The exterior lighting gives the building a presence at night, and the mixing of natural wood, a white door, and darker cladding make for simple but modern exterior.

To allude to the nearby ocean, the architects designed a seaweed patterned for the interior of the garage door (seen here raised). It successfully reads like a leather padded wall and makes “the cube” feel that much more customized.

wooden stair design

living room / kitchen

living room

Entrance doorway

side view with lift and slides onto stone terrace cliff

waterside view

Entrance side view surrounded by landscapes and lake

Melbourne firm Splinter Society’s main goal for the Bungalow 8 renovation and expansion was to create "a more modern, free-flowing series of connected living spaces,