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Saved from demolition, stripped of awkward alterations, and faithfully restored, these rehabbed homes prove how timeless midcentury design can be.

“Everything was in fairly bad repair,” says Jessy Moss, recalling her first impression of seeing the 1961 post-and-beam home on Zillow. But one feature that caught her eye—and hinted to her that the house might be worth a visit—was the cluster of circular pavers that enlivened the driveway. Later, after she and her husband, Steve Jocz, bought the home, they had new concrete pavers laid in a similar pattern.

The eye-catching kitchen cabinets are made of recycled milk bottle tops, manufactured by Smile Plastics in Wales. On the wall, red arrows "pierce" the wall, a sculpture by Liam Fallon. Across the room, a McDonald’s M sits in the corner. "It’s a pop icon," says Mat.

“We bought the land not knowing what we could build or where. It’s off by itself and pretty isolated,” says Jeff.

“The design for the house emerged from walking the property. We imagined that as we climbed up from the beach, we’d see little peeks of our home from behind the trees,” says Brad Horn, architect and resident.

The open-plan living space—which incorporates living, dining, and cooking areas—is the largest space in the home and it offers spectacular views over the lake and valley through a full wall of glazed doors. The doors and windows in the rear of the living space can be opened to provide cross ventilation.

The weekend retreat is a welcome respite from the hustle of Mexico City.