Studio

The dining room, equipped with a built-in bar and wine refrigerator, opens to the wrap-around patio.

An integrated oak bench with storage bridges the kitchen and the dining area, where a massive oak table is surrounded by orange dining chairs.

Architect Fareez Giga deploys a suite of custom built-ins to upgrade a 715-square-foot flat for a bibliophile and a passionate cook.

Homeowners Heather Thompson, a literary specialist in Lake Oswego School District, and Sam Gaty, executive director at a nonprofit that supports documentary filmmakers, loved almost everything about their spacious, light-filled 1965 ranch house in Portland, Oregon’s West Haven neighborhood. But the one pain point was the kitchen, a cramped, dark space with a bad layout.

Remodeled by resident and interior decorator Jill McCoy and her husband David Hassall with the help of architect Paul Molina, the open-plan living space opens to a small outdoor area. French doors and a wall of windows bring in light. An Eames lounge chair and a Noguchi table add a modern sensibility.

The millwork hides the bed and desk, but it also conceals the air conditioner. “Everything is integrated,” says Losada-Amor. “That’s what keeps it clean.” Even the garage door mechanism is hidden here.

In kitchens that are looking for a more glam feeling, metallic or reflective tiles and materials can be a great idea. The slight changes in color of this metallic tile backsplash add visual interest and make for a consistent color palette with the stainless steel appliances.

Screened by the sliding door, Rosa cozies up with a book in the bedroom, while across the apartment Robert uses the hydraulic kitchen table as a work desk. “We wanted to explore the power of custom design by creating integrated furniture to maximize both efficiency and aesthetics,” says Rosa.

In this Palm Springs duplex, for cabinet doors, the architect owner designed aqua blue plywood sliders that park at specific positions, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Contractor Franklin Pineda custom-built these cabinets using Baltic birch plywood from Anderson Plywood.

A palette of wood, concrete, and painted brick forms a neutral backdrop for Kathryn Tyler’s vintage treasures, including a $30 dining table, $3 poster, and a set of 1950s Carl Jacobs Jason chairs she snagged on eBay for $400. Read more about this frugal furniture collector here.

Tasked by John Powers and Jennifer Bostic with renovating a run-down cottage that was never meant to be lived in year round, Otto Ruano of Lead Studios transformed the space while keeping as much of it intact as possible. Potence lamps by Jean Prouvé illuminate the kitchen and living area. The bifold doors are by Loewen.

When Libby May and Eoghan Mahony purchased a 1950s post-and-beam house in Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Canyon, they envisioned someday transforming the garage and adjoining workshop into livable space, with an office for each of them and a family room they could share with their sons, Wes, 14, and Duncan, 10.

"We worked closely with the clients to source all the 'accessories' for this project—lighting, hardware, and plumbing,