Glass Bricks

The freestanding staircase was built three times before Gregory deemed it structurally sound—a tribute to the architect’s tenacity. The high-tech end result was achieved using small custom-made plastic reinforcing fibers. The galley-style kitchen with its bold use of color was Caryn’s choice. She fell in love with the name of a paint swatch called Canary Yellow and then left it to Gregory to fine-tune the exact hue.

A layout that flows and the use of glass blocks brightens up the living and study rooms.

Glass blocks create a casual and connected relationship between the master bedroom and master bathroom.

In the primary bathroom, a shower incorporates replicas of original Nevada glass bricks, and a vintage Jieldé swivel arm lamp by French industrial designer Jean-Louis Domecq illuminates the sink.

The bricks were sourced from Coney Island and that verdant palm tree is a stunning and convincing fake.

A glass-brick skylight brightens the main bathroom.

In another part of the home, a library/den area is also warmly illuminated by a full-height, glass-block window.

Operable Glass Block French Doors Submitted by: B-green Homes Designer's Description: I am a green homebuilder and want to share with Dwell readers a unique, operable glass-block exterior door that I built and installed in the shower area of my "Boomerang" house in the mountains of Costa Rica. Based on a very robust 180-year-old French door mechanism, my version combines sturdy technology with modern glass-block, making what I believe to be the world's only operable glass block double-door.

Inside, a sunny living area opens to the kitchen and features floor-to-ceiling glass block along one wall. Chris Evan's character can be seen sitting in front of this wall in several scenes.

Office guest room