New

Architect Guta Louro moved from New York City to Austin on the last day of 2020, and designed an apartment full of textures and colors. "I love awakening sensations and provoking thought through my designs," she says.

Contemporary furnishings now contrast with the traditional detailing of the preserved architecture.

Gary (left) and David relax in the living room with their dog, Edie Falco. Says Bestor, "The house is under 2,000 square feet, which is tiny by L.A. standards, and yet it feels very spacious."

Architect Barbara Bestor brought a fresh perspective to David Weinberg and Gary Ventimiglia's 1926 Tudor in Silver Lake, combining Benjamin Moore's Black Iron and White Linen. “I was hesitant about the colors when Barbara proposed them," recalls David (pictured). "But when she said, 'Think of a Motherwell painting,' that reduced my anxiety."

Victorian terrace homes may be the norm in Melbourne, but Ripple House by FMD Architects stands out with a geometric addition that expands the floor plan for a couple nearing retirement and their two dogs.

It was important to make the home as fire-resistant as possible, granted its wooded Northern California site. (Natalie is on the board of the wildfire council.) The Harrisons pulled the siding off the house and put it through a shou sugi ban treatment — contractors created a giant burn box and roasted the whole pile. “It feels earthy, and also like you never have to treat it again,” explains Natalie. “We found people to actually do this—they burn it, and put it back up.”

Sundberg used materials, which include concrete and zinc in addition to larch, that were as close to their natural and untreated form as possible. "It is the right thing to do here," he says. "We don't want our design to pretend to be something it is not."

Perched just above the edge of the Narrows, the house is an ideal place to live surrounded by the wild beauty of Ketchikan.

“We definitely wanted to preserve the character of the home and make sure that it always fits the neighborhood,” says designer Jenny Bassett. To that end, the team kept the front façade intact, only repainting and adding new landscaping. The fireplace in the living room was also retained, so wood is stored in the front yard for easy access.

New folding glass doors connect the downstairs living room to the revamped yard. The floors are concrete and the ceilings are Hemlock.

Custom millwork of oak and walnut were developed throughout the spaces.

In the bathrooms, Lunt paired classic midcentury finishes (like terrazzo and wood) with fresh fixtures and lights.

Living in between the woods

Antonio and Estela have been together since they were teenagers and today have two teenage children, a son and daughter. The couple built a business together and lived in rented accommodation but always dreamed of having their own home. As their company became increasingly successful, they had the opportunity to not just buy but create their dream home. Interestingly, for a home that values privacy, the front garden is conceived as a semi-public space.

Mary and Kundan Bhullar built a shipshape country escape that sits lightly on the land in the Aravalli hills near Gurgaon, India.

The Perch at sunset.

The master bedroom living area is separated from the bedroom by a glass-enclosed, plant-filled courtyard that also provides ventilation to the bathroom and wardrobe.