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The overall home is constructed with larch timber, a British wood, and features a central ridge beam that gives it a butterfly-shaped roof. Shou sugi ban was done on the wood to give it a charred finish.

The overhead windows cast light and shadows above the kitchen, which is lined in lower drawers for easy access.

The living room is right off the kitchen, and has views of the garden.

"We meticulously plan for how light affects spaces. We model the spaces and test the different lighting throughout the day,

The bathroom's shower is wheelchair accessible, if needed.

Floor Plan of Butterfly House by Oliver Leech Architects

"The plaster's imperfections are part of what gives the house its unique character, in the same way the concrete floor shows swirls and the timber has natural knotting,

This thatch-roofed brick cottage in Nieby, Germany, was originally built by tenant farmers or crofters from a nearby estate in the late 1800s. It stands on a small triangular plot of land surrounded by barley fields and faces toward the Geltinger Birk nature reserve. The home’s street-facing facade was preserved and restored with only a minimal, black-steel dormer window belying the more substantial alterations which open onto the private rear yard. A subtle black-framed addition containing an oak-lined living space is tucked under the thatched roof and opens onto a sunken timber terrace while large picture windows are cut into the historic brick volume in areas which had been damaged from the previous additions.

Stafford Residence floor plan

Library Detail

BEDROOM 3 - Bunkhouse for up to four.

“We love to cook, so having the kitchen and living room open to each other allows us to be social while preparing meals,” says homeowner Andrew Noseworthy.

Australian studio Keen Architecture designed this large laundry room with minimalist grey walls, subway tiles splashback, built-in cabinetry and a large window that opens out to the garden, perfect for clothes in need of sun-drying.