Simple Homes

“We chose to have a very big kitchen,” says Egelund. “I love it when people cook together.” The kitchen is by Egelund’s brand Vipp, and is a design that was developed more than 14 years ago. The couple have the same kitchen in black in their Copenhagen apartment but decided that the warm gray color was better suited to the coastal setting of the summer house.

An outdoor shower set in the timber-clad walkway offers another way for the homeowners and their guests to connect with nature, and an easy way to rinse off after swimming.

“Our design fee was very, very little,” says architect Cristian Stefanescu. “That was part of the arrangement. It’s also why we tried to design something very simple—there was less demand to spend time detailing complex intersections.”

The use of the stone as a foundation allowed the budget to be reduced as it minimized the amount of work and materials.

After staying in a tree house listed on Airbnb, Remo Kommnick and Emi Moore wanted their own getaway in the woods. "It was amazing being up in the trees,

The simple wood deck features innovative cutouts that allow full-grown Yucca trees to peek through.

New steps on the house's addition pair garapa wood planks atop concrete forms. "I did research and got advice to make it work without warping,

The rough-hewn stone stairs that lead to the cottage were made by a local stone worker.

The custom dining table—which was made by a local artisan—is located in front of west-facing windows that frame the sunset in the evenings. The table can be easily moved inside or out depending on the weather.

The Colorado Camelot tree house in Manitou Springs, Colorado, is wrapped with Douglas fir and features a deck pierced by tree trunks.

The deck was reconfigured to open on to the garden, as one enlarged and connected space.

The side walls have been treated as vertical extension of the horizontal surface of the garden, and are used for growing climbers such as jasmine, grapes, honeysuckle, raspberries, beans, peas, and even a climbing fig. Colorful bird’s houses and bug hotels are also mounted on the walls.

The Nook exterior features shiplap cypress siding, a reclaimed oak deck, and an entranceway of oak blackened in the traditional Japanese method.