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The 240-square-foot size was determined in part because the cabin needed to be moveable; it's positioned on a cliff, so if the land ever falls in, they can pull the structure further away from the edge.

Nokken modular cabin can be customized to suit almost any natural setting.

The Fish Camp acts as the couple’s forest getaway, just a quarter mile from their main house.

The drop ceiling was removed to make the kitchen feel larger, and Troy RLM kitchen lights were installed above it.

“We went with marble counters, using leftover materials to create a marble sink in one of the bathrooms on the main floor,” she says.

Undeterred by the pandemic—and with their one-year-old daughter in tow—Danielle and Ely Franko spend seven months overhauling a former hay barn.

Hope painted the bedroom walls, ceiling and floor bright white, adding a fresh look and a feeling of spaciousness. "It's small," she says, "so I went with a simple bed frame and all-white linens to keep things light and bright."

The interior glows like a lantern at night, as does the new backyard pool.

A fire pit between two wings of the home encourages outdoor living.

Steve and Margaret Cegelski, a retired couple who invented a popular tire sealant, welcome guests to their Santa Barbara County home nearly every weekend for hiking, surfing, and horseback riding. Overnight visitors stay in the new guesthouse designed by Dan Weber of Anacapa Architecture and Steve Willson of Willson Design; the builder was Curtis Homes, and the structural engineer was Ashley & Vance Engineering. A green roof helps the structure disappear into the site high above the Pacific. “We wanted to capture the quality of the setting, but with minimal impact on the land,” says Weber.

On an undulating stretch of California coastline, a hidden guesthouse runs free of the grid. "The house is elemental," says project architect Dan Weber of Santa Barbara–based firm Anacapa, who collaborated on the project with designer Steve Willson. "We endeavored to make it out of materials that would wear and take on a patina over time, so they could feel like part of the landscape." Unfinished steel, board-formed concrete, and glass continue inside, where rich black walnut—used for ceilings, cabinetry, and furniture—provides an inviting contrast. "On a foggy day, you want that feeling of warmth around you," says Margaret. Brass fixtures complement the deep-hued wood.

Handmade leather Fernando chairs by Jayson Home surround a live-edge custom walnut table by Ben Riddering in the dining area.

A chandelier by Lindsey Adelman hangs overhead. The floor-to-ceiling windows throughout are by Fleetwood Windows.

Surrounded by glass panels, the deck has an infinity-edge effect.

This photo and the next are two very different modern bathroom vanities with mirrors. Here, a Rejuvenation mirror with brass accents reflects those throughout the guesthouse, including in the Waterworks taps and Workstead pendants.

The living area features a Le Bombole ’07 sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, a Chieftan chair by Finn Juhl, and a rotating hanging stove by FireOrb. The poufs are by Tazi Designs.