Home Ideas

Protected by an overhang, and floating above ground level, this tertiary space is known in traditional homes as the "engawa." To sustain a unified look throughout, the floor and ceiling are clad in ipe wood.

"We did our best to tuck the buildings into the site—the goal was to get up high on a perch. It was a matter of setting that elevation and working back down with the topography," says architectural designer Riley Pratt.

More adult playthings, like this pair of bikes live under the stairs, whose cutouts break up the plane of plywood and double as peepholes for kids at play.

This wall shelf makes an efficient way to provide storage in a living room or large open space.

“Our goal was to construct a house with the lowest possible budget, while ensuring comfort and efficiency for the residents inside,” says Sergey Kolchin, founder of Le Atelier. The architects accented the home’s front door by painting it yellow, harmonizing the structure with the surrounding forest.

Anne Suttles waters the bamboo muhly, palo verde, strawberry tree, and magic carpet thyme thriving in their Austin yard.

If you frequently entertain guests in your home, or love holding long leisurely dinner parties on the weekends, it’s a good idea to keep these points in mind when designing or remodeling your kitchen. Here are some tips on how to turn this functional area into a space that's fit and fun for gatherings.

Use this as a guide to finding the right architect for your new home or renovation—and what to expect during the process.