Mid Century

Architectural designer Sebastian Mariscal and project manager Jeff Svitak created a house in Venice, California, for Michael and Tamami Sylvester. Known as Dwell Home Venice for its role as an exemplification of modern architecture, the house is an homage to indoor-outdoor living. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

Michael and Tamami brought greenery to the master bath courtyard, which is lined with Eco Arbor Designs deck tiles, in the form of succulents in a ceramic Peanut planter by John Follis for Architectural Pottery from Vessel. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

Their daughters, Annapurna, left, and Siddartha, play with their dog, Anouck, beneath the kangaroo paws in the entry garden courtyard.

The swimming pool offers an alternative plunge to the nearby Bantam River.

The 1,500-square-foot cabin merges traditional and modern, and the couple's mutual desire to balance comfort with the bare necessities, living lightly on the land while fully engaging with their surroundings. Photo by Shai Gil.

Avoid unwanted surprises and dodge disappointment by following these six easy tips for buying furniture online.

A built-in larch bookshelf occupies an entire wall on the second floor den.

The owners furnished the living room with a mixture of new and old pieces, including a Hans Wegner lounger and Tuckbox coffee table. A timber-lined hallway leads out from it to the newer parts of the home. Sections of steel-framed double glazing separate and accentuate each “house” while letting in glimpses of sky.

The owners were passionately involved in every aspect of the design, and pushed the team to make choices they normally might not have, including using Western red cedar for the master bathroom countertop. The spa-like space features a soaking tub, tile from Statements Urban, an MTI sink, a custom mirror, and a Vola faucet.

In this picture from @_decoh, the veiny marble is explicitly referenced by hung photograph.

For the bathroom, the architects designed a clever tub that can serve as a shower, too. “Curved bath edges are not great to stand in so we wanted it to have a flat base,” Bright says. “We also didn't like that you would have to step over the edge of the bath to get in the shower. The solution to this was to sink it down.” The light is by Tub Design and fixtures by Duravit.

In the bathroom, Martin selected Heath Ceramics Conclave Diamond tile in citrus green for the glass-enclosed Kohler tub, which is outfitted with nickel Kallista fixtures. A matching toilet by Kohler in the color Cashmere blends with the custom-fabricated concrete sink by Get Real Surfaces. Photo by Patrick Bernard.

For homeowners on a budget, the Internet is your best bet when making upgrades. “What we should all really be excited about is how much access we have to furniture and accessories at any price,” Berkus said. “I started my design firm pre-Internet and now we source 85 percent of what we use online because we have so much incredible access online.” Berkus recommends shopping globally by scouring websites like ebay.fr for more unique pieces of furniture that will stick with you for many years. 1stdibs and One Kings Lane are other good options. Pictured is a mid-century modern living room renovation designed by contestant Lukas Machnik> in Palm Springs for American Dream Builders. Photo courtesy NBC.

The view as it appears today.