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Floor Plan of Wilcox Estate by Bright Designlab

The new house is separate from the original, but the exterior spaces flow into each other.

In winter, the bones of the house (laminated beams supporting cross-laminated timber panels) are visible.

Renovated from a 1940s ranch-style home, with many of the original materials used in the reconstruction, the homeowners love the self-reliance afforded by generating thermal energy and their rooftop garden. Photo: John Clark

The design team added a skylight to the shower room, which has a ribbed glass partition and wall tile from Solistone.

Cover Architecture and EEK Studio designed the custom vanity, which was fabricated by Hardwood Habitat. The wood door conceals the toilet room, while a pocket door separates the bathroom from the bedroom. The terrazzo floor tile is from Cle Tile.

The fireplace now has a tile-covered hearth—the tile is La Pietra Compattata Cromie Bianco—that people can sit on.

Cover Architecture and EEK Studio redesigned the fireplace so it no longer obstructs the side of the window. The surround lighting creates a warm and inviting effect, even when the fireplace is not lit.

Backdrop’s After Hours, a soft charcoal hue, gives Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown’s home in Woodland Hills, California, sleek curb appeal. Lund Sconces by Kuzco Lighting punctuate the exterior, and the streamlined garage doors are by Amarr.

A Rope Sofa by Normann Copenhagen defines the plush, inviting living room. Pearl oak hardwood floors by Hallmark Floors stay true to the subdued palette. Behind, the dining room features a Pedestal marble table and Neutra chairs from Casa Quieta under the Mori pendant from RBW. A Molekule air purifier hums quietly.

At the upper level, the main bedroom leads to a covered porch. Below, there’s a shower room for rinsing off after a dip in the pool.

Floor Plan of Glen Road Residence by Risa Boyer Architecture

"The exterior cladding of the house is custom-made, a play on board-and-batten siding organized into patterns that suggest varied depth and texture," notes the firm. "Painted in subtle gradations from white to gray, the striped shadows of the board-and-battens shift throughout the day. "

Shane Michael Pavonetti, an Austin-based architect and contractor, and his wife, Holly, built their eco-friendly home on a lean budget of $175,000. The cedar siding used on the exterior reappears throughout the house. Keen on recycling the wood, the couple added shelving to their kitchen as well.

The couple’s bedroom features a platform bed designed and built by designer Brandon Jørgensen, along with a steel bench and a leather-and-brass chair, both from Erin Martin Design. The painting is by L.A. artist Donnie Molls, while the 3-Squared floor lamp is by Blackman Cruz. “In the morning, we take turns going down to get coffee,” says Buttons. “And then we lie in bed and read, looking at the trees. It’s heaven.”