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Sporting a handsome black facade, the multi-level home pops against its lush green lawn.

This prized Boulder residence pairs a jet-black exterior with over 5,000 square feet of luminous living space.

Julie and Chris Hill’s home in Austin is built around a pair of massive oak trees, one of which shoots through an ipe deck, past a pair of Loll deck chairs, and into a void in the overhanging roof. “The hole also allows light to penetrate deeper into the house,” notes designer Kevin Alter.

Upon arrival, bright yellow doors lead to the home's open-air atrium, which presents access to various rooms across the single-level, H-shaped floor plan.

Like the other houses on the pedestrian-only street, their home comes right up to the pavement’s edge, but unlike any other, it greets passersby with a wide glass facade.

Sliding glass doors from Marvin lead to the patio, which features a trio of tiered concrete planters that double as bleacher-style seating. “When we have friends over, they like to gather on the steps or planters,” says Rebecca, “and then it all flows naturally up to the yard, where they can find places to sit and eat.” On the patio, a grill from Fisher & Paykel stands ready for serious barbecuing. The chair is from CB2.

Burnette sought to maintain the property’s natural vegetation and rocky ground surface.

Side table by Oliver Bonas.

The original brick wall is made of a sand-lime mix; in front of it sits a sofa by Robin Day for Habitat. In the study, a Louis De Poortere rug, from a collection inspired by the 1960s, evokes Farnley Hey’s early years. The Yorkstone flooring has been well varnished over time. The seating unit is by Robin Day and the side table is by Oliver Bonas.

Architect Johan Sundberg looked to Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma for inspiration for the design of a holiday home in southern Sweden. "We call it the Katsura typology, but that's probably sacrilegious," he says. The eaves of the gently sloped hipped roof extend generously in all directions, turning the deck into a covered retreat that’s part veranda, part engawa, the Japanese version of a porch.

In the great room, a Splendor sofa bed by Innovation, an Eames Wire Base Elliptical table, and an Eames Wire Base Low table sit atop a Tufenkian rug from Dover Rug & Home near a #11 dining table by Skovby.

Jorge’s parents’ house is across the patio. “We believe we’re onto something here in terms of a societal shift,” says Jorge. “Not everyone wants to live in an apartment or condo. They can live in a home that’s part of a family compound.”