Inspirations

Fitted out in custom concrete bench tops are Voodoo by Colour Concrete Systems and custom shelving, the luxury kitchen was built with integrated appliances for a streamlined appearance.

Karen and Brian’s home is a vibrant new addition to a block of midcentury bungalows in Vancouver, British Columbia. One of the volumes is clad in untreated tongue-and-groove Western red cedar. The other is covered in multicolored cedar shakes, which are skewed at an angle that aligns with the slope of the roof. Architect Clinton Cuddington of Measured Architecture worked with the owners to fine-tune the unconventional pattern and color palette. Concrete from the building that formerly occupied the site was repurposed for the stoop.

Located in Karuizawa, a popular summer resort town in Japan’s Nagano Prefecture, Four Leaves is a weekend getaway designed to accommodate the homeowner and their guests in a lush, sylvan setting. Designed by Kentaro Ishida Architects Studio (KIAS), the highlight of the stunning, 2,400-square-foot house is its sloping, angular roof sections that are delicately assembled to resemble fallen leaves.

A reed and metal pergola structure constructed by PSS Design Cult.

"The owners really wanted to make sure that the furniture was inviting and interesting, but still felt like it fit the space,

Cabin at Longbranch | Olson Kundig

While Edwardian timber homes are common in Sandringham, a beachside suburb in Melbourne, this one features a custom rear extension with two gable roofs that house the master bedroom, kitchen, and dining room. The open plan allows the spaces to flow into the yard, which features a new patio with a timber pergola for open-air dining.

Global firm Perkins+Will built a home on a 10,764-square-foot plot in São Paulo to revolve around the gardens, which take up 50% of the site. They designed the property around a large tree with an open plan in the living, dining, and kitchen areas.

Front outdoor space

Quintessa Winery has a commitment to creating modern architecture that complements rather than competes with the landscape.

Stubb and her family moved to their home, located on 2.25 acres just north of Baltimore, in 2001. "The outdoors here are a big playground," she says. "We had always wanted to build something for the girls that looked natural." In the summer of 2008, they finally materialized their wish with the 128-square-foot "tree house" that they designed themselves. Drafting the plans came naturally: Laurie is the principal of Place Architecture, Inc. and her husband, Peter, is an architect at a firm that focuses on institutional projects.Photograph courtesy of Laurie Stubb.