houses

Floor plan of Casa Rupanco by Mas Fernández Arquitectura

The facade of the 1800s-built home was preserved while the interiors saw a svelte update. An addition at the rear hides an immaculate listening room built and tuned to the client's audio equipment.

The water-resistant ipe wood deck wraps around two existing trees.

The view from the master bedroom. Sliding glazed pocket doors open up to the cantilevered deck. The U-Turn swivel chairs are by Niels Bendtsen from Design Within Reach.

The new walk-through pantry with laminated glass doors runs the width of the kitchen and features reclaimed timber shelving. The floors are engineered oak.

The iron nails on the cabinet doors hint provide an upbeat decorative flair as well as hinting at the medieval fortresses of Ibiza’s past.

The new kitchen features green kit kat tiles, a terrazzo-effect rubber floor, white cabinetry, and cherry wood veneered cabinets. The client originally wanted teak cabinets, but 4 S Architecture recommended using cherry wood instead as it is more sustainable but has the same warm tones as teak. “We couldn’t get behind teak as a product so we used FSC certified European cherry that has less air miles than American cherry,” explains architect Julia Hamson. “The client was really pleased with the result.”

In their query letter, Ben and Sarah were clear that they wanted a home that could accommodate all of life’s messes. “We don't want a white display kitchen that only looks good when it's clean and not in use. We want our kitchen to be able to work hard. We love to cook and when we do, there are usually lots of things on the go and a mess being made.”

FMT Estudio gives a stark and dated dwelling a playful renovation that embraces the sunny climate with lush courtyards and a poolside veranda.

Mary Ellen House—named for the street it sits on—is defined by its characterful material palette and double A-frame form. “The double-arch windows give the sharp A-frame lines a soft touch,” explains architect Rob Diaz. The oak shutters and stucco finishes on the exterior hint at the interior palette, which celebrates Madera heart oak flooring throughout.

The courtyard divides the "bi-nuclear" house into adult areas and children's areas, including a playroom.

The elevated modular home is clad in locally sourced radiata pine treated with a stone-gray oil stabilizer.

More than 60 plant species were used in the layered design.

Kyu Sung Woo sits in front of a model of the three homes he and his wife have occupied in Cambridge: the historic house they bought in 1978, the larger home he designed behind it in 1989, and the scaled-down structure he recently completed next door to meet the needs of the couple’s later years.