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The indoor pool adjoins the main house, and features a pair of Easy Chairs by Jørgen Høj and Poul Kjærholm.

Wood Marsh Architecture brings a sculptural aesthetic to a holiday escape in Melbourne, Australia. It opens up with an internal courtyard and orients to the rear, where an outdoor pool area overlooks the broader landscape. A sweeping deck follows the site’s natural slope to a pool area screened by a curved low masonry wall that nods to the building’s prevailing form.

The fire pit area displays a 48-inch concrete fire bowl, woven chairs, and upcycled tree stumps for kid-friendly-seating.

Sphinx, the family Carolina dog, scouts the perimeter of the Concrete Collaborative pavers in the backyard. The pavers were installed on a slight angle to channel water to the surrounding gravel, lawn, and planting beds. This substantially lowers the landscape's water demand. Perforated PVC pipes and a pump move excess rainfall (which would otherwise go to storm drains) into an underground basin where it can later drain off. Redwood fencing reflects the material palette of the interior and creates visual continuity around the backyard.

Designed by award-winning Sant Architects, this four-bedroom vacation rental near Topanga elevates the concept of a mountain retreat to new heights—from its raw, concrete facade and hillside pool, to the Bauhaus-inspired interiors that feature expansive glass walls that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The clean, architectural lines are expressed using iron beams, concrete slabs, timber-panelled walls, and glass, and the sprawling, open-plan living area features a slide-away fireplace and enormous windows that seamlessly transition the property from cosy winter retreat to breezy summer getaway.

A wooden ladder leads up to the loft bedroom. A wood-burning stove provides heating.

Curved forms reverberate throughout the property, including this spiral staircase that connects the two floors of the guesthouse.

Jinhee and John, looking east from the dual-story roof deck. The door behind Jinhee leads to the top floor of Andy Hong’s unit, where a bar fridge contains wine ready for parties. In the background is the boxy form of a traditional triple-decker.

Azin redesigned the staircase for better flow, tucking storage beneath and running the counter into the stair tread. The V-shaped cabling is based on a pattern from the ’60s, says Azin.

View to the Captain's Deck

The home’s two levels used to be connected only by an external staircase. The architects reorganized the floor plan to insert a new indoor stair, which is bordered by a screen of steel cables grounded in stones the couple collected on their beach. The columnar lantern is by Stefan Gulassa, a local artist who made many of the home’s light fixtures.

A new curling staircase accommodates the new layout. Formerly the staircase had been near the front entrance.

A narrow staircase connects the main floor with the pod’s upper level and intersects the entryway to form another captivating, carved-out space.