Things we like

The upstairs master suite has a bank of custom closets trimmed in raspberry Laminex and Split (Doughboy) handles from IN-TERIA Design.

Greenery brightens a patch of outdoor space just off the main bathroom.

A skylight brightens the shower area.

The master bath features porcelanite walls and and floors paired with quartz counters.

Ceppo di Gre tiles from ABC Worldwide Stone give the master bath an elegant finish.

Wood meets white marble in this well-lit bathroom by architect Craig Steely. Contrasting materials make for a warm and serene bathing atmosphere in this Berkeley, California home.

Detail of bathroom

Louis did much of the woodworking in the house, including the fabrication of the white oak stair treads. The ironwork was crafted by Alex and Gio Welding. A Glo Ball pendant by Jasper Morrison for Flos hangs in front of the staircase.

“The clients desired a maintenance-free, year-round home using the ultimate in ‘green’ building methodologies,” Mulvena says. The staircase is an example of the construction’s mindset: it is made from the leftover laminated veneer lumber used on the roof.

Briggs and Knowles’s elegant staircase draws upon the language of the oculus; the stairs are underlit with fluorescent lighting, which accents the line of the steps, giving them an ethereal, almost weightless quality.

The bathrooms all feature a skylight that brings natural light into the space. "We felt that it was very important to bring the sky into the most private space. We really pushed to have this," says Tatangelo. "It makes the room feel completely different." The pebbles in the wall element were all hand cut and hand placed.

The thoughtful incorporation of simple joinery details and lighting highlight the quality of materials. The light fixtures were custom-designed by Studio PCH and made in Guadalajara.

The apartment sits on two floors and it offers views of the London skyline.

Wide-planked white oak wood flooring is echoed in both the wooden dining table and the floating wood treads of the stairs leading to the second floor.

The bentwood mirrors and brass fixtures in the master bathroom fit in with the subtle midcentury design language throughout the home. A large window fills the space with natural light, which bounces off the white Carrara marble vanity top and herringbone tiles on the wall.

The floor and shower is covered in large-scale porcelain tiles by Floor Gres (Florim) from the Ecotech collection in the Ecodark color.

The showpiece in the new bathroom is the floating vanity with an integrated sink carved from a block of Nero Marquina marble.