Just Right Houses

The family spends most weekends at the cabin, and two or more weeks each summer.

Before: The previous owner had lived in the house since 1959, and it was quite literally falling apart when Zeke and his partner purchased it.

The interior CLT surfaces are treated with a soapy wax that protects the wood and also reflects more light to create a more luminous space.

The designer renovated her homestead after the area's permitting laws changed.

“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.

Five House by M Gooden Design floor plan

Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

The getaway protrudes like a sculpture from the hillside.

The 1,000-square-foot bungalow sits along a quiet street near downtown Tucson and the University of Arizona. "For us, home isn’t simply about the space you live in; it’s also about the sense of belonging to a particular place," says Dale.

The home features a combination of interior and exterior living spaces that afford privacy to the occupants. “There are social spaces for everyone to be together, but also spots outside the building where people can have a private coffee—and that’s so important,” says architect Line Solgaard.

OCM House floor plan

There is even the possibility to create single, independent units as cabin-like retreats.

The bright living room incorporates some of their own furniture prototypes with treasured midcentury collectibles. The T-square on the wall came from the estate of Albuquerque architect George Pearl; the hanging textile opposite is by fiber artist Romeo Reyna. The Finn Juhl chair comes from another estate sale, while the lights were made from standard, off-the-shelf parts. Darci and Dale also built the console and coffee table.

In Hanna Bui’s Sausalito houseboat, designed by architect Craig Steely, sea creatures seen through an enormous back window animate bay views.