Kitchen

Kayaks and windsurfing equipment are stored in the main cedar-clad volume.

A food-service area with a bar is a defining feature.

In the bathroom, a thin pane of glass separates the shower; an Aquaplane sink by Lacava hovers above a built-in vanity illuminated by a lean Adelphi light by Oxygen Lighting; and blue-green glass penny tiles by Terra Verre decorate the floor. The absence of a door, combined with windows on two sides, makes the bathroom feel like a continuation of the overall space.

“This was a very, very, very, very custom job,” says Klebba.

The dining table tucks under a shelf when it’s not pulled out for meals. There’s even vertical storage for canvases for their teenage daughter.

A couch—upholstered by local firm Revive Upholstery & Design—slides out on hidden casters and transforms into a full-size bed (with the headboard doubling as a linen cupboard) where guests can sleep.

All of the furniture was meticulously handmade by Klebba and Reis to serve the family’s needs.

The main built-ins—a sofa bed, table and chairs, and plenty of storage—run the length of the space and are tucked snugly beneath the ceiling. The green Tube Top 14 lamp by Pablo Pardo is from Relish Design.

PATH partnered with local woodworkers Benjamin Klebba, of Phloem Studio, and Bren Reis, of Earthbound Industries, to build furniture and cabinetry into the walls.

Strips of white-oak flooring line the interior of the studio, created by designer Jeff Vincent and PATH Architecture. The George Nelson Bubble Lamp Saucer pendant is available at the Dwell Store; the kitchen cabinets and appliances are by Jenn-Air. All accessories are from Canoe and Relish.

“Our desire was to have the spaces appear as though they were carved from a single block of wood, with the movable pieces an integral part of the overall composition,” says Vincent. “This created a feeling of seamlessness.”

Fusion Landscape Design worked with PATH to remake the backyard into a grown-up playground. Under the stairwell sits a tiny custom cedar sauna and an outdoor shower—just a literal hop, skip, and jump away from the sprawling in-ground eight-by-ten-foot hot tub. Down three short stairs, Gloster’s Elan dining table from Design Within Reach is surrounded by Spark chairs by Don Chadwick for Knoll and a built-in fire pit and DCS grill by Fisher & Paykel—all resting on a smooth surface of bluestone pavers.

Taking inspiration from barns, warehouses, Case Study Houses, and Japanese residential architecture, architect Marcus Lee and his wife, Rachel Hart—an architectural model maker—created a unique timber-framed home in Hackney, London. In the kitchen, the Corian kitchen island unit acts as a real hub with a television tucked away under the worktop. However, the kids sit at the island for breakfast and other meals, and when guests come, they end up sitting there and talking while the owners are cooking.

Wright Feldhusen Architects designed this house for a client that loves to swim. A lap pool connects the home to the ocean that lies beyond the property in Maroubra, Australia, a suburb of Sydney.

Groupings of succulents accent the home’s entry path and pool area.

The small pool at the top of the landing provides the family with a place to cool off.

The east-facing pool terrace is outfitted with a series of Eos lounge chairs (and plenty of inflatable swim toys).

All the rooms are cross-ventilated and a central stairwell skylight is designed to be opened in order to flush out hot air.

The house is heated by radiant hydronic heat and the ground floor includes a concrete slab that’s heated to a constant temperature. Additionally, approximately 97 percent of the house is lit with efficient LED lights.