Inspiration

OHTAMA RESIDENCE - Kitchen + Dining Area West

Kirkland Mid-Century Modern

“I wanted more of a skeletal look for this house, and less of a chunky, log-cabin look,” says Panton, who added stark steel bracing across the entire length of the porch’s roof structure.

A young fisherman walks under the root bridge at Mawlynnong village. In the relentless damp of Meghalaya’s jungles, the Khasi people have used the trainable roots of rubber trees to grow bridges over rivers for centuries. A new jingkieng dieng jri, which translates to "rubber tree bridge," takes one generation to grow using a construction system passed down through many generations before.

The kitchen features a 10-foot marble island and large windows to frame picturesque views of the waterfront landscape in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Also adding to the bright and airy feeling are two large picture windows, which the homeowners selected instead of upper cabinetry.

GreenSpur and McAllister Architects imagined a cabin sided with Cor-Ten steel, glass, and shou sugi ban–treated cedar for a wooded property outside of Washington, DC.

Set on an east-west axis, the home stays cool with shading south-facing glass, minimal west-facing glass, and operable windows that allow for natural ventilation. Energy recovery ventilators also bring fresh air into the home.

In search of a Bay Area retreat, Jeff Waldman and Molly Fiffer purchased a piece of land on which to experiment and gain new skills, one task at a time.

Australian expats Carla and Paul Tucker tasked designer Dan Gayfer with expanding their Melbourne bungalow without adding any square footage. In the kitchen, a soft palette of wood, laminate, and tile created cohesion, impressive considering the clients didn’t see a single finish, color, or material in person prior to their homecoming. The kitchen cabinets were clad in Russian birch plywood, and the countertops were concrete.

Completed in 10 months on a flat meadow atop a wooded bluff near the Cousins River estuary, the energy-efficient residence emphasizes indoor/outdoor living for a pair of nature lovers.

Drawing inspiration from the farmhouse vernacular, the Clinton Corners Residence features gabled structures clad in western red cedar and topped with standing seam metal roofing.

Fortunately, the damaged exterior and dismally dark 1970s interior didn’t scare away NMT Financial, who were captivated by the home wrapped around a massive oak tree embedded into the inner courtyard. Oakland-based See Arch was hired to restore the home’s modernist character while updating the dwelling to contemporary standards.

From the rear, the home’s layout as a two-story structure becomes clearer, as does its aggressive use of angular dimensions and expansive walls of glass.

If their everyday mantra sounds something like "reduce, reuse, recycle," these eco-conscious gifts won’t weigh on their conscience.