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First floor plan of Devon Passivhaus by McLean Quinlan

From lighting to plumbing, here’s what you should know before you start your next update.

A wide picture window overlooking illuminates the living room toward the rear of the plan.

Original built-in shelves and cupboards in the living room offer plenty of storage. John Kay designed much of the home’s built-in timber furniture.

Furniture designer Tom Deacon teamed up with pal and architect Andrew Jones to renovate his Toronto townhouse. “Architects tend to think of the building first, the interiors second, and last, the furniture. Our approach was the opposite,” Jones says.

Reimagined by architect Lisa Breeze, this compact semidetached brick home in Melbourne was built by the client's granduncle in the 1940s and passed down through generations. While the kitchen was updated to fit a modern lifestyle, the pastel color, gentle curves, and preserved Bakelite handles are a nod to the original era.

Architect Johan Sundberg looked to Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma for inspiration for the design of a holiday home in southern Sweden. "We call it the Katsura typology, but that's probably sacrilegious," he says. The eaves of the gently sloped hipped roof extend generously in all directions, turning the deck into a covered retreat that’s part veranda, part engawa, the Japanese version of a porch.

“This architecturally stunning home steals the show with Streamline Moderne lines and curves, elegant corner windows, and statuesque Queen Palms,” says the listing agent.

Located close to the Joshua Tree National Park, Pioneertown, Integratron, La Copine, hiking trails, and all the Joshua Tree area has to offer.