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On the outskirts of Grândola—a small Alentejan town in the Setúbal district of Portugal—a dramatic architectural form sits in the vast, arid landscape amidst cork trees and herds of cows. The whitewashed guesthouse is known as Casa da Volta, which translates as "Home of the Return,

Original light switches stack neatly within the wall's original wood slats.

The foyer contains a model of another Flansburgh project.

side facade view

Bizna Estudio combines passive house principles with a few regional materials to keep one family cool while on vacation.

Indot, an interior design firm in Taiwan, designed this suspended enclosure for a client's four cats. The wood frame and interior elements of the cat house mesh with the rest of the home's interior finishes, while the glass ensures the installation doesn't convey too much visual weight.

A small deck perches off of the dining area. Greg, an admirer of midcentury Brazilian design, acquired the tea trolley by Polish-Brazilian architect Jorge Zalszupin from the gallery Espasso.

The original pool was refinished and grommets were installed for a custom safety cover. A new firepit by Lumacast and teak-and-rope lounge chairs from the Conran Shop create the perfect outdoor lounge area.

Two sconces, Steven Handelman Studios Iron Wall Lights, flank original photography by Bess Friday. The design team furred out foundation walls in key places – such as behind the couch here – to create functional ledges, and straighten sloping walls.

The library, upstairs in the center volume of the house and lined with built-in bookshelves, offers a different cozy scale than the rest of the house.