Flowerpot

Charred and clear-stained cypress wrap a weekend retreat designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects in Rogers, Arkansas. The home sits in a dense forest 85 feet above Beaver Lake.

Another side of the home opens up onto a large lawn.

Sphinx, the family Carolina dog, scouts the perimeter of the Concrete Collaborative pavers in the backyard. The pavers were installed on a slight angle to channel water to the surrounding gravel, lawn, and planting beds. This substantially lowers the landscape's water demand. Perforated PVC pipes and a pump move excess rainfall (which would otherwise go to storm drains) into an underground basin where it can later drain off. Redwood fencing reflects the material palette of the interior and creates visual continuity around the backyard.

Joaquin Altamirano and Silvia Martín worked with Daniel Bergman Vázquez of Estudio Untercio to create an open-plan oasis in an apartment building in central Madrid. Estudio Untercio designed the medium-density fiberboard cupboards, which are coated with lacquer paint matching the ceramic-porcelain countertops. The tubular hood above the island is by Teka.

“The bathrooms were conceived as special spaces,” Vázquez says. “We decided to give them some color that would contrast with the main spaces.” A vessel sink by Cubik rests on a custom oak base; the mosaic tile is from Mosaico.

"My wish for the bathroom was for it to feel like walking along a creek through the Tasmanian wilderness,

A curving skylight illuminates the minimalist kitchen of a dwelling in Bondi Beach, Australia, that was renovated by Andrew Burges Architects.

Pendant lights of varying height add to the whimsical feel.

The architects incorporated sustainably sourced parota wood into the living room’s sunken seating area. The Turn Tall side table is from Blu Dot, and the pillows are from West Elm.

Kitchen

Kitchen cabinets

Expansive windows in the kitchen frame views of the nearby forest and meadows.

Enormous windows allow light to flood the interior, while carefully framed views of the garden blur the boundaries between interior and exterior. The deep concrete bathtub in the downstairs bathroom, for example, offers views of both internal and external gardens.

"I often choose finishes that allow the natural texture to show through, and finishes that emphasize the cathedrals and burls of the graining,