Van Isle exterior

The landscaping was careful to not take away from the scenery.

The outdoor space includes a fire pit.

Lauren and Brittan Ellingson, the owners of Notice Snowboards, a custom snowboard and wakesurf company in Whitefish, Montana, approached Workaday Design and builder Mindful Designs to concoct a new lake home for their family. The brief was, perhaps unsurprisingly, focused on getting the family outdoors as much as possible.

The second floor, which houses Mark’s office, has aluminum-framed windows on three sides and opens to a roof deck.

The roof deck is outfitted with Janus et Cie Amari Low Back lounge chairs.

The master bedroom was raised and cantilevered so as not to disturb the mature oak tree roots. Boulders are used as steps to the lawn.

This kitchen garden cleverly uses Borealis wall in Hazelnut Brandy as a long-lasting, retaining wall for raised garden beds, bringing the cottage-garden charm of timber without the need to worry about maintenance or everyday wear-and-tear. The clearly zoned pathways between the beds allow room for a cafe table and chairs.

A perfectly manicured lawn is made even more alluring with the addition of a strikingly linear pathway that combines Techo-Bloc’s Blu Grande slab in Greyed Nickel with small pebbles. A paved fire pit area introduces an additional functionality to the pathway and creates an impressive spot to stop and admire the view. Discreet lighting makes sure the space can be appreciated at night as well as during the day.

Julie and Chris Hill’s home in Austin is built around a pair of massive oak trees, one of which shoots through an ipe deck, past a Loll deck chair, and into a void in the overhanging roof. “The hole also allows light to penetrate deeper into the house,” notes designer Kevin Alter. A limestone brick wall mirrors the curves of the Western red cedar roof, the edges of which are coated in stucco.

Black steel frames around the contemporary Pella windows add dramatic contrast to the white-and-wood design.

The spacious home features radiant floor heating via a concrete-topped floor system, while cooling for the two upper levels uses a ducted split system.

In addition to seven bedrooms and an open-concept kitchen, the home also features an indoor sports court.

How does daylight affect happiness and well-being? Marvin decided to find out.

Thomas used a rake to score the concrete path to the front door. Holes occurred when the rake caught a stone. “It’s a fabric of mistakes,” he says.