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Artist Cori Creed stands in the kitchen of the vacation home in rural British Columbia that she and her husband, Craig Cameron, built with their friend and architect, Kevin Vallely. Cori made the ceramic dinnerware and pendants, while Craig built the kitchen island and installed the plywood ceiling with the help of his stepfather.

Summary harnesses the power of prefabrication to create a set of compact homes on a breathtaking site.

“Watching the sunrise and moonrise from the living room is gobsmacking,” says James.

The cabin has charcoal-colored metal siding and a punchy yellow-green front door for contrast.

"We love space, because of the different heights and the light,

Photo by Aldo Lanzi

Floor Plan of Gneissland by Legendary Group

Even as the square footage of this cottage in Fayston, Vermont, shrank in response to budget constraints, architect Elizabeth Herrmann remained focused on making the space feel warm and functional for a family of four and their dog and cat. "I think the trick to making small spaces feel much larger is to design the experience of being there,

Built entirely from teak harvested on-site, this breezy solar-powered home in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, ticks all the right boxes for a pair of avid environmentalists who love surfing.

"In some ways the strongest attributes of the house are probably the outside spaces,” says Court. The original cedar deck was replaced with Kebony decking that wraps around a century-old cherry tree. A pair of Andy rockers from Mamagreen face an ottoman by Kenneth Cobonpue. The accordion doors are a NanaWall SL-60 system that allows the main room of the guesthouse to open completely to the deck.

Lane also designed a detached screen porch for the property. Its orientation captures the view of a small mountain across the lake. “A New Hampshire lake house always has a screened porch,” he says. “This one allows for a separate experience that connects you to nature.”

Loon Lake Retreat floor plan

Loon Lake Retreat site plan

“They’re well-traveled New Englanders who had always lived in older, traditional homes,” Lane says of the clients. “They wanted a contemporary home with warmth, texture, and craft.”

The concrete wall behind the porch provides a backdrop for the wood stove and privacy from the road.

Interior designer Heidi Lachapelle chose unfussy furnishings with clean lines. “Nothing should feel decorative or unnecessary,” she says. “We looked for things that would age beautifully to speak to the wabi-sabi concept.” The oak daybed is by Bautier, the indoor/outdoor rug is by Dash & Albert, and the trapezoidal cushions on the concrete bench nod to similar ones that the wife saw at Georgia O’Keefe’s home and studio. The Scandinavian-inspired fireplace throws heat from two sides.

The owners built the house as a place to gather with their three adult children on Loon Lake, where they had vacationed at the husband’s family home for years. The modern Adirondack chairs are by Loll Designs.

The home includes handcrafted details such as built-in cabinetry and shelving. The open-plan living space is anchored by a floor-to-ceiling stone inlay fireplace and framed by a warm wood paneled post-and-beam ceiling. Artwork on view: (foreground left to right): Gerald Luss, Sofa for The Gerald Luss House (c. 1950s); Frances Palmer, Terracotta Planter; two Not Yet Titled works by Alma Allen (2020) (2017); Gerald Luss, Coffee Table for The Gerald Luss House (c. 1950s), porcelain vases by Frances Palmer (2021); micaceous clay vessels by Johnny Ortiz (2021); Alma Allen bronze dish, Not Yet Titled (2019); Green River Project LLC, Aluminum and Leather Lounge Ch air (2021); (background left to right): Ritsue Mishima, Seed Crystal (2017), Fonte (2020), Arca (2012); Gerald Luss, Untitled (2020); two Untitled (2021) works by Yoichi Shiraishi; Cecily Brown, Reasons to be Cheerful (2020 - 2021).