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The home is currently being rented out to recoup some building costs, and the owners are considering a permanent move after their daughter leaves for college.

Dwellings Winner: Casa Ter by Mesura Mesura designed a retreat for a family of five in the Catalonian countryside, utilizing regional and artisanal building techniques and local materials for a sustainable home that blends with the landscape.

Architect Gabriele Mary Ann Schicketanz designed a modular compound in Carmel-by-the-Sea to house her son’s family and her own, offering a cost-effective alternative to the area’s $2–3 million homes. Placed on a nearly five-acre lot beneath old oaks, the project includes a three-bedroom main house, a freestanding ADU, and a site-built garage, all oriented for views and privacy.

Lekien outfitted the kitchen with oak cabinetry, pale oak flooring, and ceramic wall tile with a matte finish.

The house clearly displays its Sea Ranch–style touches.

The 1941 Druckman Residence has a new pink kitchen, original plywood paneling, and an open living area overlooking the Hollywood Hills.

Floor plan of Lil Shingle by Best Practice Architecture

The architects retained the previous deck’s footprint but updated it with ipe boards. The sconces on both levels are the Bower model from Schoolhouse Electric.

The two major architectural interventions happened in the living room, where the architect vaulted the ceiling, replaced the preexisting clunky skylight with three slim ones, and relocated the staircase to the basement. The wall tile outside the powder room is by Fireclay—the homeowner specifically requested all rectangular tile be laid horizontally.

Upstairs, the living room fireplace surround extends to the ceiling with Fireclay’s Thin Brick tile. A trio of rectangular skylights replaced the oddly large square that previously capped the room, and a new built-in desk and shelving add a cozy finish to formerly wasted space.