Retreats

The upstairs bath features graphic tile.

A decorative cinder block wall edges the property and provides a sense of enclosure without hemming in the yard too tightly.

The maple kitchen cabinets are punctuated by leather and brass pulls.

Jennifer sits at a vintage Bruno Mathsson Maria dining table in the kitchen.

The minimalist A-frame overlooks pristine alpine views.

Located in northern Michigan, the two-bedroom Lake House is built of metal structural insulated panels and channels Scandinavian design influences.

"The cedar siding is simply stained with a black semi-transparent oil stain [from Cabot], which allows the color of the wood to still emerge through,” architect Robert Hutchison says. “We love how the black color makes the building recede into the background, and how it in turn allows the trees on the site to emerge as the highlight.”

Three kiva fireplaces—and a large collection of rugs and textiles—offer warmth on cold desert nights.

Comprising 11 modules, this green-roofed prefab was built in 90 days in a factory near São Paulo and then transported to the site in three shipments on flatbed trucks.

Campo Loft is surrounded by lush vegetation atop a mountainous hillside.