Favorites

London- and Oslo-based architectural practice Studio Bua turned a battered 1930s farm building into a 1,959-square-foot live/work space in Iceland’s remote Breiðafjörður Nature Reserve. To contrast with—but not distract from—the rugged outbuildings and surrounding landscape, the team built a low-impact timber insert that allows the existing structure to maintain its distinctive character while adding another level to the home. The architects meticulously restored the original concrete structure, which was "fragile in some places,

Canyon Barn

Canyon Barn

A lofted area awaits upstairs, complete with wide visual axes and picture windows overlooking the landscape. The deliberately placed lighting enhances the moody ambience of the space.

The open living-and-bedroom area of Ian Hague’s rural retreat can be divided by a wall that rises from within the master-suite platform. Interior designer Elaine Santos blended her client’s collection of vintage furniture with no-fuss pieces like a Shaker-style bench by Ilse Crawford for De La Espada.

The kitchen is a minimalist, functional space with Miele and Wolf appliances, Lumi joinery, and concrete worktops and sinks designed by the homeowners.

A grand space greets visitors when they first enter the home. The living room and kitchen are tucked on either side of a central dining area, which features a 35-foot-high wall of glass.

A wood bridge leads to the second-floor entry of the converted barn, which now offers 4,500-square feet of clean, modern interior space. The cladding is local hemlock spruce, the same local wood that was originally used to build the barn.

In keeping with the Goodmans' desire for just enough subdivision for rooms to sleep and work in, Cohen inserted a two-story volume into one of the barn frame's side aisles. An additional small mezzanine over the kitchen serves as a play area for the grandchildren.

By the Saey fireplace, a wicker chair from Malawi echoes the lines of Pinch’s Willo table. Matching other pieces to their line “is not an exact science,” Oona says, “just an innate reaction to things we love.”

The design team restored the existing wood beams, giving nod to the home’s former rustic life, while introducing big windows, white walls, and clean lines.

The house features one master bedroom upstairs, two guest bedrooms, and two separate guest apartments downstairs that Wynants rents out. “Farming has become a very difficult trade. Prices are historically low and agritourism is something invented to give farmers the possibility to have an extra income,” says Wynants, who grows hops on his land. “The formula has had huge success; in the last years the tourism capacity of this area has multiplied many times.”

Sunlight pours in through the windows and highlights the wood grain that wraps the interior, lending warmth and texture.

The large bathroom features an open shower, a large window, and a combustion toilet.

The living room daybed converts to a bed when it's time to sleep. A built-in table at the foot of the bed folds in and can be used as a nightstand or shelf.

The designer clad the interior walls and ceiling with a pale birch veneer and vinyl flooring. The living area of the tiny home displays a built-in convertible table and daybed.

Norske Mikrohus’s latest project, Rast, is a 174-square-foot-home that promises to get you closer to nature.