Modern Homes

Like many of J. Carson Bowler’s designs, the home at 235 Broad Reach has a ship-like shape that’s clearer when approaching its southern facade. The structure is nestled within cypress groves and rolling dunes in The Sea Ranch, a community of modernist homes located along a 10-mile stretch of California’s famous Highway 1.

Black granite counters top fir cabinets, and are accented by walnut open shelving in the new kitchen. The pendants are by Visual Comfort.

The hut combines “our love of mountains with our love of design. It fuses tradition with innovation,” the brand explains.

A street view of the low-slung compound.

Beyond the large pedestrian gate, “which is really the home’s front door,” says Gottschalk, “the house begins to reveal its strong indoor and outdoor relationship. Blurring the boundary between the two is a key design element.”

Front door

The existing stone walls of Candlewood Lake House were painted a deep black and matched with a new standing-seam roof.

Set on an east-west axis, the home stays cool with shading south-facing glass, minimal west-facing glass, and operable windows that allow for natural ventilation. Energy recovery ventilators also bring fresh air into the home.

Cabin Nordmarka, 2006.

Alpine Noir by Casework

Using heat-treated pine and bricks, Wood Arkitektur + Design built a casual family retreat on a family compound in Hellerud, a borough of Oslo, Norway. Situated on a natural slope, the house is divided into split levels. The exterior is swathed in heat-treated pine that has aged to a soft gray, alongside charcoal bricks. The rotating, open-faced fireplace here is the Ergofocus model from French company Focus.

The kitchen sits just off the living room area for easy entertaining. The roller shades are from J Geiger.

A collage of brightly colored, geometric volumes comprise the Ettore Sottsass–designed residence of Lesley Bailey and Adrian Olabuenaga, proprietors of jewelry and accessories company ACME Studio. Completed in 1997, this home is one of few private commissions designed by the Italian architect, who passed away in 2007.