Instead of purchasing Memorial Day party or cookout supplies, consider donating those funds to a veterans charity. Charity Navigator lists some highly rated military and veteran organizations to help make sure your contribution goes to a trustworthy program.

The owners are car collectors, especially of “vintage American Mustangs,” Simpson says, so a nearly 23-foot-wide garage door opening was created at the rear of the building to access a space made for six prized rides.

The "Tippy Cup Rain Chain" teaches the children about water conservation.

The kitchen's layout fosters socializing throughout the cooking and eating process. By placing the island facing the dining table, Serra ensures that someone washing dishes or preparing food can still talk to other people in the room. "The space should encourage those in it to cook up a storm if they choose, several people cooking at once if necessary, and it should provide visual beauty, culture, and a comfortable environment," Serra says.

Visitors scale a series of outdoor staircases that wind their way up the structure. Volume and Studio Terpeluk turned the risers into a teaching moment about energy use and the impact of every day activities.

Mithun designed the tree house so that it would tread lightly on the land. The firm originally considered prefabricating the entire structure offsite but, in the research process, concluded that craning large modules into place would potentially harm the canopy. A combination of a bolted-together prefab structure and site-built wood housing yielded the least intrusive construction option. The Summit Bechtel Reserve is located in West Virginia's coal mining country. The architects looked to the local structures—bridges, mining apparatus, and other industrial buildings—to inform the tree house's design. A 166-ton Cor-Ten steel megastructure supports the 125-foot-tall building. The use of regionally appropriate materials, like steel and black locust wood, was important to the architects.

Mithun wanted to engage the scouts with all elements of the forest: the floor, the canopy, and a perspective above the tree tops. In one of the viewing rooms, visitors get the feeling of being fully surrounded by leaves.

The structure's mission is to teach visitors about the environment and sustainability. San Francisco–based studio Volume designed the exhibition program, which offers interactive displays about water conservation, energy use, recycling, and more.

The North American SCADpad includes about 300 repurposed vintage rulers. Photo courtesy of the Savannah College of Art and Design.

The glass-walled master suite opens to the surrounding forest and gardens and feels totally separate from the children’s and guest bedrooms upstairs.

South American Beach Escape (Governador Celso Ramos, Brazil) Vacation-worthy beaches are as numerous as one-name soccer stars in Brazil, but this exceptional oceanfront rental offers something a bit different. Sure, the swaying hips of Ipanema aren’t in sight. Instead, you and up to seven other friends can enjoy one of a handful of private beaches, drink on the terrace, perhaps grill fish you caught in the property’s fishing boat or oysters you’ve lifted from neighboring rocks. After a few days stay, the house won’t be the only thing integrated with nature. p>Listing at Exceptional property private beach

This "See America" poster, commissioned by Print Collection, is modeled after the posters made by the Works Progress Administration in the 30s to encourage Americans to engage in domestic tourism by visiting National Parks. Buy it here.

90mm

Paul’s American flag was a gift from one of his clients at the hair salon he owns. A flag should be fairly easy to procure at thrift stores or eBay, but this vintage stock from Urban Outfitters is a quick pick. $389

The American Modern collection by Steubenville is perennially popular among midcentury enthusiasts.

The classic American Modern pitcher.

Luxe sofa by Goodman Charlton for American Leather. The top-grain leather sofa’s biscuit-tufted detailing takes its cues from 1940s designs. Made in Dallas.

In the living room are a sectional by American Leather for Room & Board, an Eames lounge chair and ottoman, and a custom floor lamp and coffee table by Jeremy Clark and Ed Haynes.

“I wanted the bathtub and shower to be at the foot of the terrace, so one could look out and feel the connection to the site,” Coleman said. “French roast,” an unglazed porcelain tile by American Olean, covers the shower.

In lieu of a checkerboard effect, Kovel kept his carpet squares all vibrantly verdant. With the bamboo cabinets and countertops the whole space has a pastoral feel. “I wanted it to be like the Bradys’ backyard,” he says.

Arquitectonica designed both the structure and the interiors of American Airlines Arena, home to the world champion Miami Heat. The home locker room is one of the grandest in the NBA, evoking a planetarium in this photo by Richard Bryant.

Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream is available from amazon.com.

She also designed flatware for TWA and American Airlines in the 1980s.

Moonshine is beautifully set in an isolated spot in the English countryside outside of Bath. The dramatic juxtaposition of a stone gamekeeper's cottage and a modern timber framed addition gives the home a quaint, pastoral feel while capitalizing on the dramatic view of St. Catherine's Valley.

American walnut veneer covers the cabinets in the kitchen.

Brian Levy, Tony Gilchriest, and Jay Austin (left to right), are creating the Boneyard Studios complex in Washington, DC, along with Lee Pera and a team of architects and builders. The four structures onsite are both experiments in small-space living and, during public “work days,” a base for educating the community about construction, design, and tiny houses.

The wooden flooring shown here is American walnut.

Exposed American oak was used to create sightlines that capitalize on England’s notoriously fickle light.

At the structure's top, a 4,000-watt wind turbine and 6,500-watt photovoltaic array offers lessons about renewable energy.

The living area features glass doors to ensure it is bathed in light, warmth, and pastoral outlooks.

This biomorphic, space-age ceiling was designed by Japanese-American artist and designer Isamu Noguchi, in the building of the American Stove Company, designed by architect Harris Armstrong.

An exhibit on biodiversity offers insight into local flora and fauna.

A bench offers a place to rest and take in the surrounding tree canopy. Creating opportunities for contemplation is another key element of the structure's design.

The new office makes the most of the exposed brick, tall ceilings, and large southfacing windows. "Because we are based in New York, we don’t have a ton of space," says Dots co-founder Patrick Moberg. "We wanted a clean, thoughtfully designed place to build and play games." Murphy interpreted these wishes into an aesthetic she describes as "traditional American office meets Scandinavian home."

Warren Platner designed the American Restaurant in Kansas City in 1974 as part of a complex of modern buildings commissioned by the Hall family of Hallmark Cards. He described the bentwood, brass and lipstick-red interior as “like a huge lace Valentine.”

The American Modern collection, manufactured by Steubenville Pottery. This was the line that brought casual dining to the tables of families across America.