Ideas

In Los Angeles, homeowner Bill Thompson warmed up his otherwise dark living room with a series of Douglas fir slats applied above the fireplace, as well as other wood accents throughout the room; the slats provide both texture and pattern to the fireplace, acting as a focal point and emphasizing the space's vertical height.

SUSHI TABLE If wood-clad walls are too big an undertaking, consider incorporating the warm wood trend by bringing in some quality furniture pieces. Conceived by Paul White and Dan Morgan, this table is made from a single piece of walnut with a live edge. The legs are attached via a mortise-and-tenon joint technique; a sliver of maple in the dowel is visible on the table surface. The table's inception began with creating a proper table for sushi for two, sitting on the floor in the Japanese style.

Smith designed the custom cabinets, which were fashioned from medium-density fiberboard with a white lacquer finish. There are three drawer heights. "The faces are consistent but some, when you open them up, are triple-height," Smith says. "So that helps with things that are really large, like sleeping bags or camping stuff or whatever. They're three feet deep, so it goes into the knee wall, which is really handy. So you get lots and lots of storage."

Fields of native grasses connect the main residence, situated at the top of the slope, to the new structures scattered below. A pergola extends from the post-and-beam structure that was maintained during the remodel of the midcentury home.

Queenstown gets cold in winter, hence the installation of a sauna. Outside, the landscaping was kept deliberately casual, with rock walls and gravel paths.

One bathroom features a ladder that leads up to a yoga studio.