San Juan

Approach to house — the front porch wraps to the west to link together the main entry door and the mud room entrance.

A fire pit between two wings of the home encourages outdoor living.

The barn-shaped pair of gabled buildings flank a taller volume for visual contrast. The grass mound conceals a passageway that connects the two buildings on the right.

One of the building challenges was transportation through the steep and windy roads to the isolated site, which is 0.5km away from Cornwall, one of Connecticut's smallest towns.

The eastern side of the home gets beautiful views and the morning sun. The fireplace and chimney, foreign to the barn typology, are connected to the building with glazed joints.

The green roof is planted with local succulents, including cascading pigface.

Along Victoria’s Surf Coast, a minimalist timber dwellingcombines Scandinavian charm with the laid-back vibes of a New Zealand bach.

The kitchen, built with imported Tasmanian oak and plywood, features one of the most beloved details from Pam’s Cross-Stitch House—a kitchen island with a mirrored base—but the floating bench here is shaped differently to represent Arthur. "[The mirror] lightens the space in many ways, so you don’t feel like the island is taking over," says Dunin. Graphic backsplash tiles fom Academy Tile run into laminate countertops with a plywood edge. The refrigerator is Fisher & Paykel, and the combo oven and cooktop is V-ZUG.

A regional township south of Auckland was the ideal spot for architect Daniel Smith to build a modest "kiwi bach" for his family overlooking the river and mountains. The exterior stands out for its cedar rain screen and the sloped and angled roof that makes the most of the home's small footprint. Paving the way to the sunken lounge is the showpiece kitchen, embracing affordable materials like pine, plasterboard, and black-painted aluminum.

For privacy amidst the bustling marina, the Wedgie turns its back to the south and embraces views of the bush toward the north.

Drawing inspiration from the farmhouse vernacular, the Clinton Corners Residence features gabled structures clad in western red cedar and topped with standing seam metal roofing.

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

A view of the Abel House and its classic Sea Ranch design. With sloping rooflines and a naturally aged wood exterior, the minimalist aesthetic is meant to blend with nature.

Approached from the driveway, the home is accessed along a stone path that turns into a series of wide, wooden steps. The home's angular roofline is a dramatic form against the natural backdrop, but the wood cladding connects it to the site.

In summer, trees help to filter out some of the heat during the warmer days.