Landscaping

The second-level terrace was designed to take advantage of Austin’s southeast to northeast prevailing winds.

Twenty minutes from Marfa, a couple bring a 1914 home back to basics by peeling away faux stone, preserving marbelized tile, and building an addition that’s boxy in the best way.

A swing hangs from one of the home’s original beams. “It was a gift from friends in New York,” says Onur. “The girls spend hours on it.”

The “Casita” gave the family 1,095 square feet of extra space, and has multiple functions, including flexible space for guests, a home office where they can host firm meetings, and an exercise area with a traditional Finnish sauna.

The view from the courtyard at the Casita, added in 2020.

The patio outside the primary suite is made of bluestone pavers. The gabion walls were “a cost-effective way to build retaining walls, which we needed because of the slope, and for privacy,” says David.

“I skewed the plan so that my house is oriented to the meadow and the creek, and they’re oriented to the meadow and the mountain,” Schicketanz says.

Architect Gabriele Mary Ann Schicketanz designed a modular compound in Carmel-by-the-Sea to house her son’s family and her own, offering a cost-effective alternative to the area’s $2–3 million homes. Placed on a nearly five-acre lot beneath old oaks, the project includes a three-bedroom main house, a freestanding ADU, and a site-built garage, all oriented for views and privacy.