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Collection by Megan Hamaker

Visual Vacation: 8 Homes that Inspire Relaxation

You may not be able to get away from your desk today, but you can take a short visual vacation courtesy of these eight scenes from the Dwell archives. Picture yourself in any one of these amazing homes that inspire a nice deep breath and a sense of relaxation.

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The bach’s beachfront site is nestled behind sand dunes with views toward Kapiti Island, a nature sanctuary.
The bach’s beachfront site is nestled behind sand dunes with views toward Kapiti Island, a nature sanctuary.
Located an hour outside of the bustling city of Mumbai is an idyllic home designed by Architect Bijoy Jain, principal at Studio Mumbai Architects.
Located an hour outside of the bustling city of Mumbai is an idyllic home designed by Architect Bijoy Jain, principal at Studio Mumbai Architects.
The lake, seen from the pool. The patio doors are held open by rocks that Gomez-Pimienta collected on various pilgrimages: Taliesin West in Arizona, Chateau Neuf du Pape in France, and others.
The lake, seen from the pool. The patio doors are held open by rocks that Gomez-Pimienta collected on various pilgrimages: Taliesin West in Arizona, Chateau Neuf du Pape in France, and others.
Architect Craig Steely designed this house for himself, his wife Cathy Liu, a painter, and their son, Zane, that looks out to the Pacific Ocean from a lava flow on the big island of Hawaii.
Architect Craig Steely designed this house for himself, his wife Cathy Liu, a painter, and their son, Zane, that looks out to the Pacific Ocean from a lava flow on the big island of Hawaii.
Dougal James-Robertson explains that with all the glass doors open, the couple is “fully in touch with whatever’s happening naturally.” Contrary to what the images here portray, this is not always a good thing, as the weather can pack a wallop with intense rain and wind.
Dougal James-Robertson explains that with all the glass doors open, the couple is “fully in touch with whatever’s happening naturally.” Contrary to what the images here portray, this is not always a good thing, as the weather can pack a wallop with intense rain and wind.
Cedar slats mark the facade of Floating House, Doug and Becca Worple's lake house in Ontario. The architects, MOS, chose materials and shapes that wouldn’t stand out. “They’re really simple, almost Platonic forms,” principal Michael Meredith says. The modest cabin has boat, a gabled roof and a cladding of untreated cedar, a material that shows up on docks and homes along Georgian Bay. “Allowing the buildings to weather seems the right thing to do,” Sample says. And it’s ready for winter: Sliding barn doors seal the place up as an impenetrable box.
Cedar slats mark the facade of Floating House, Doug and Becca Worple's lake house in Ontario. The architects, MOS, chose materials and shapes that wouldn’t stand out. “They’re really simple, almost Platonic forms,” principal Michael Meredith says. The modest cabin has boat, a gabled roof and a cladding of untreated cedar, a material that shows up on docks and homes along Georgian Bay. “Allowing the buildings to weather seems the right thing to do,” Sample says. And it’s ready for winter: Sliding barn doors seal the place up as an impenetrable box.
The house is perched in the midst of an astonishing landscape. The rocky islands here were violently scraped clean by glaciers more than ten thousand years ago.
The house is perched in the midst of an astonishing landscape. The rocky islands here were violently scraped clean by glaciers more than ten thousand years ago.
The clients cite Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mrs. Clinton Walker House in Carmel, California, as a very loose inspiration for the design of their house. From the deck off the kitchen and living area, Miha, nine years old, takes in an uninterrupted view of the Pacific Ocean.
The clients cite Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mrs. Clinton Walker House in Carmel, California, as a very loose inspiration for the design of their house. From the deck off the kitchen and living area, Miha, nine years old, takes in an uninterrupted view of the Pacific Ocean.