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An arched opening was added to connect the kitchen and breakfast nook, and gain sightlines to the yard. Seamus refinished the fireplace mantle and added square zellige Zia tile in ‘Nana’s Lipstick’ to the surround. Gubi Semi Pendants hang over the island, and the sink has a Devol Ionian Bridge Tap.

Seamus rebuilt the front porch to be more historically accurate, and the couple painted everything in Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball, except the porch ceiling, which has Little Boy Blue by Sherwin Williams.

Everything brought to the island must be transported by boat or barge, so furniture is minimal. Carsten purchased the 1960 Rais wood stove more than a decade ago with the intention of using it in a cabin one day.

Sustainable building practices were key to the cottage’s rebirth. The home’s green roof system consists of a vinyl membrane topped with small trays filled with ferns and mosses from the nearby Columbia River Gorge.

The home features a combination of interior and exterior living spaces that afford privacy to the occupants. “There are social spaces for everyone to be together, but also spots outside the building where people can have a private coffee—and that’s so important,” says architect Line Solgaard.

After clearing the site of refuse and its disused, tumbledown structures, Jai and Lindsay erected a steel kit-of-parts framework for the barnlike workshop, which they positioned overlooking the tree line of Douglas firs in the valley below.

Architect Jai Kumaran and his partner, Lindsay Merkle, transformed a badly neglected ridgetop property in Scappoose, Oregon, into a retreat, completing a 3,000-square-foot prefabricated workshop and studio suite as the first phase of a larger planned creative compound where they could live, work, and gather with family and friends.

Inside the cabins, giant windows provide views of the lush tree canopy.

“In every season, in every setting, it’s beautiful,” says Emilie.

The organic placement of the windows echoes the knots on the trunks of the surrounding trees.

The large wraparound porch links the two main houses and two guest cabins, and is the site of many impromptu shared meals.

A view of the exterior of the structure, showing the two families' separate living spaces anchored by a single broad porch.

Designed to comfortably accommodate three to five employees, the 1,000-square-foot home office that Matt Fajkus Architecture has recently built beautifully complements an existing midcentury abode in Austin, Texas.

Unlike its solid front, the back of Creekbluff Studio opens to the outdoors with large windows, floor-to-ceiling glass doors, and a patio tucked between tree canopies which overlook the nearby creek.

The addition includes two individual office spaces, a conference room, a studio, a bathroom, and storage space. An operable wall divides the main space as needed.

Pre-drilled holes meant that no dust was created on site. Here, each shingle's attachment was designed so that it would be covered by the shingle above.

The gradient of dark to light green mimics the tones of the greenery around the pavilion.