Garten

The site has uninterrupted views over Rushcutters Bay—even from the lowest level. “The infinity edge on the pool really makes it appear to vanish into the view,” says architect Bronwyn Litera. “We also love how the huge gum tree in the neighbors’ property branches over the site. The main bedroom feels like it’s cocooned up in the canopy, and it provides beautiful shading and dappled light over the pool and windows to the west.”

Project designer Wayne Chevalier stands on the patio of the Malibu Crest residence, admiring the impressive view.

Studio Bracket Architects amplified the home’s International Style by adding more glass paneling, extending the flat room, and refining the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.

The custom sliding window screens, which shield from solar gain, were designed by the couple and are a modernized reference to the operable shutters that Denise remembers from her childhood in Austria. They first used the idea on one of their apartment buildings.

6. "Am I the 'fixer-upper' type?" "The truth is that an additional $100,000 on your purchase price is only about $300 more in payments,” she says. “If you work long hours and don't have a handy bone in your body, you might be better off buying a more fixed-up home.” 7. "Who are all of the decision makers, and can they actually see the home?" "There are times when parents may be helping out children with their down payment," she says. “It's always better to have the parents in on the process as early as possible."

In the Norwegian town of Larvik in Vestfold County, Oslo-based practice Lund Hagem Architects renovated a summer cabin on a rocky terrain with generous outdoor patios that take advantage of dramatic coastal views.

A pathway winds between a pair of Japanese maples and a myrtle tree that dates to the home’s original construction. The floor-to-ceiling windows and sliders are by Fleetwood.

Two new structures were also built in the backyard, and connected to the main house via the landscape plan by Lilyvilla Gardens. One is a 485-square-foot guest house, and the other is a 375-square-foot workshop for the owner, who’s a bike builder. They have the same exterior siding as the main house: rough-sawn tongue and groove cedar.

To his credit, the original owner and builder of an ’80s-era home in Byron Bay, Australia, kept it “in pretty good nick,” as designer Micka Etheridge puts it. “He’d dusted the window frames once a week for thirty-five years.” Etheridge took that same care expanding the house for its new owners, Cheryl and James Kitchener, who love its greenery and mellow, vintage vibe.

Garden terrace

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

Bob sits in the entry courtyard with his dog, Goya.

The private outdoor space showcases the renovation's south-facing windows, which were installed to connect the indoors with the yard.