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In the rear of the house, a new addition extends the living space and adds a roof terrace off the second-floor master bedroom. A garden is accessible through a wall of sliding glass doors with Sapele mahogany frames, set back to control solar gain.

A cedar-slat rain screen hangs on the facade of Denis Carpenter’s concrete house in Jersey City, softening its appearance and adding a modest dash of color. Carpenter keeps the awning-style windows open in the spring and summer, creating a draft that compensates for the lack of an air-conditioning system.

The Cabin is used by a couple with a young child, who spend their weekends here while a larger country home is under construction.

A central bathroom features a tiled bathtub under a skylight. The walls are covered in a glossy white tile, and the floors with a geometric blue and white matte tile.

"Some see in the cutouts the portrait of a pirate; some, the profile of a whale," Garziano says of the residence's silhouette. "It is interesting to hear different interpretations, but they all belong to the same maritime sphere."

Perhaps Workstead’s most liberating move was to flip the position of the refrigerator from the galley wall to an adjacent space outside the kitchen proper. In one fell swoop, this strategy dramatically expanded cabinet space and added a working countertop.

A bridge links the living area to the kitchen.

To stay within the budget, the designers decided to forgo natural stone in the bathrooms in lieu of simple vitrified tile. The bathroom isn't without its luxuries, however, as evidenced by the heated towel rail from Hydrotherm.

Black-rimmed steel clerestory windows add illumination in this diminutive white kitchen where black accents abound. A black Aggregato Saliscendi Suspension light, designed by Enzo Mari and Giancarlo Fassina for Artemide, accents against the white Calacatta marble countertops and MAP's oak Milky Stools.

The designers explain, “These steel windows played an integral part in making the interior feel larger and more open by blurring the boundaries between the interior and exterior.” A grey Halcyon Lake area rug, an oak chair from MAP, and Hans Wenger Wishbone chairs make for a simple, neutral palette. The painting over the fireplace is by Kate Hendry.

The renovation of this old stone structure by Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects was, at times, as much archeology as architecture. The small square in front of the building, the only in the village of Scaiano, dates the building, a former brandy distillery fortified with both spiritis and stone walls. After reinforcing the roof and replacing the wood beam floors with concrete, the team started to dig in.

The stairwell leads to the main dining room and kitchen, where gray plaster and oiled larch wood joinery create a softer environment. The custom dining table, built by GRG Carpenteria, is surrounded by a set of Philippe Stark Toy armchairs.

This alternative view of the kitchen and dining area, outfitted with KWC ONO and Sanitär Tröesch, exemplifies how reinforncing the walls and cutting through some of the stone brought significant light into the interior.

Entry drive looking through courtyard to views beyond.