Roof deck

Across a small patch of lawn, a cedar walkway lines the raised planting beds. While the backyard is a more manicured space, the roof is allowed to be wild.

Headers were installed above the dining room and kitchen to provide some degree of delineation between the two "rooms."

"The rooftop terrace is designed for exceptional outdoor living, with areas for sitting, dining, and entertaining amidst a garden,

A view looking south toward the penthouse addition. The pergola is planted with wisteria providing a welcoming shade.

A view from the lower part of the roof deck. The Cor-Ten water garden wraps around a custom Portland cement stucco planter.

Jetsetting Jette worked with a landscape designer to select easy-to-care grasses and plants that would take care of themselves during her travels – though she's been spending a lot more time together with them over the past year.

Larchmont neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Husband-and-wife team Elaine and Stanley Yang of real estate and development firm Mini Inno discovered this 2,000-square-foot ranch home, and set about transforming it into an idyllic weekend retreat. Built in 1966, the home sits on 3.6 acres and, while the bones were good, it was a bit outdated in terms of style. The revitalized, Moroccan-inspired retreat is a sanctuary worthy of its soothing surroundings.

"Architects that have experience with old structures have a thorough understanding of how to deal with—and take advantage of—archaic materials and express them in the design. Allowing the existing building structure and integral elements to be revealed lets the building tell its story, and is what makes timeless and intriguing architecture," adds Nardella.

The new addition is spanned by a sliding glass door to the kitchen, bringing in much more natural light and creating easy flow between inside and out. The owners especially appreciate how the new deck is at grade with the exterior door for a seamless transition, making the kitchen feel “a part of the garden,” says the homeowner.

Flexible room dividers such as curtains and sliding doors abound in the residence, allowing modularity and expansiveness or enhanced intimacy, depending on the occasion.

“I think many people right now see the energy side of our products as a great value-add,” says Jokic. “We live in this very interesting time when people are ready to pay extra to have greener and more sustainable living, and our job is to really try to optimize this cost.”