garden dining room

The couple's daughter reads in the cozy nook just inside the front door painted in a vibrant blue from Benjamin Moore. Of the storage area below, Fredrik says, "In Sweden, there's always a place to sit and take off your shoes. This is a version of that."

The back garden easement was originally a cartway for coal deliveries. “The cobblestones add a timeless element,” says Maureen.

Central Bhutan enjoys cool year-round temperatures due to its high altitude. (The Tang Valley sits at around 9,186 feet above sea level.) To cope with the cooler temps, the Bhutanese have made chilies an integral part of their cuisine. Brave visitors can try Bhutan’s national dish, <i>ema datshi</i>, a fiery combination of spicy chilies and cheese made from goat, cow, or, more frequently, yak milk. Ogyen Choling guests gather for family-style meals served on a patio and its adjoining kitchen, where villagers who work on the property turn vegetables from the garden into hearty Bhutanese staples. Choden’s Swiss husband, Walter Roder, cultivates fresh produce in the garden, such as tibia-size carrots, tomatoes, leeks, and cauliflower.

ema datshi

Isaacson "borrows the view" of a neighbor's magnolia on the adjacent property by propping open the side door. His own espaliered apple tree makes the most of limited space.

At age 34, Phillip M. Isaacson commissioned architect F.Frederick Bruck to design a home for him and his wife. That was 1959. Five decades later, he still lives in his ideal home--and very little has changed.

Backdrop’s After Hours, a soft charcoal hue, gives Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown’s home in Woodland Hills, California, sleek curb appeal. Lund Sconces by Kuzco Lighting punctuate the exterior, and the streamlined garage doors are by Amarr.

The patio features a sectional from Neighbor, a coffee table from Zachary A., and dinnerware from Kinto.