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The ceiling and built-in storage wall in the bedroom are fabricated from American white oak, while the opposite wall and floor has the same grayish-white tone found in the rest of the apartment.

An Edward Wormley couch sits with a Muuto coffee table and ceiling light by Serge Mouille.

Now the kitchen has a generous prep island, which Béliveau calls the “centerpiece of the project,” thanks to its construction from four slabs of Italian Daedalus marble with a custom steel base and reveal detail just under the lip of the counter.

Looking in the opposite direction reveals how designer Louis Béliveau of La Firme embraced the lack of light in this part of the apartment, instead emphasizing it with ample dark finishes, like the 1x1-inch Daltile on the floor. A mirrored wall does catch some sun from the living room windows. “From a design perspective, mirrors are a magical trick,” says Béliveau. “They're not too expensive and they basically double up the space, and bounce back any lighting.” The door opens to the hall bathroom.

After: The soaring new living and dining space benefits from an abundance of natural light from every side, and they spent a lot of time trying to find the best lighting for the kitchen. The final choice: long, narrow copper pendants from Denmark suspended by ultra thin wires to not disrupt the visual flow of the room.

The concrete-and-steel home by Faulkner Architects gives one family a refined escape in the mountains of Northern California.

In addition to providing natural lighting, the reflective windows have other benefits. Deer walk right by the cabin, unaware that they’re providing a free wildlife show for the Molenaars and their Jack Russell terrier, Nigel. After the sun sets, and the interior can be seen from outside, the owners light candles which make the cottage glow like a huge lantern.

Forest View Glass Retreat

Custom design hexagonal mirror with LED backlit enhancement by Voodoo Glass

Ceiling panel feature LED backlighting combined with echo sound proofing application

Bathroom Features - Floor to ceiling hand painted acid-etched glass walls. Sculptural Bath and custom designed mirror.

The bathroom is a “compromise” for the couple, as Michelle didn’t want tile, and Augustin preferred the space to have a darker wall finish. They agreed to ensconce it in charcoal-colored plaster. The stools are by River Valadez.

Even though Strøm and Putzolu have international experience working out of Oslo and Marseille, France, they agree that smaller projects in less populated areas can offer outsized benefits, especially for younger architects eager for experience: ““You can skip a little bit of the bureaucracy that you have in big cities. It’s a shorter way from idea to decision.”