Up on the Hill

Perched quietly on the dunes of New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, Hut on Sleds serves as a small, sustainable beach retreat for a family of five.

The 377-square-foot Woodland Cabin by London-based practice De Rosee Sa was completed over the course of multiple trips to the lakeside lot in the village of Nouvelles in southern Belgium. The steeply pitched structure is clad in timber that was stained black from used tractor engine oil, which is a popular finish for local agricultural buildings.

On some sides, the chicken coop features wood siding rather than louvered wood because of the orientation to the sun.

The great room is anchored by a 25-foot-high granite, wood-burning fireplace with a reclaimed timber mantle located beneath Alumicor skylights.

Wide-plank oak by Kentwood Metro Flooring helps create a clean, inviting space.

- North Hatley, Quebec Dwell Magazine : July / August 2017

A series of French doors extends the interior living spaces to the deck and meadow beyond.

The entry is marked by a thin, cantilevered canopy hovering over the front porch.

"I wanted our home to have as many windows as possible," Jorie says. "I love how the plywood ceilings turned out looking so clean and natural."

Here are a few questions Smirke recommends asking: When is a permit required? Will you need to submit plans for your renovation project? Were there un-permitted improvements made to the property? If so, what will be required upon inspection? Are there new fire, energy, and safety requirements that will need to be met to meet current building codes?

The kitchen is layered with the living room—the counter space becomes the flooring in the living area, and steps are used as additional seating.

Affordable, adorable, and in many cases, transportable, these tiny homes made a big impact on our readers this year.

Cabin at Longbranch | Olson Kundig

Innauer Matt Architekten designed the house as simple wooden building resting atop a solid, reinforced concrete plinth.

Nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, this 200-year-old home inspired one former copywriter to delve into architecture as a living. Inside, renovator and owner Tom Givone mixes vintage and industrial decor. Photo by Mark Mahaney.