The wall beneath the stairs holds hidden storage, including an Enomatic wine dispenser and Sub-Zero refrigerated drawers.

Shibata made the 10-person dining table using $130 sawhorse legs from Maruki Wood Products Company topped with a sheet of birch plywood. A hole in the sliding wall fits over the table, enabling it to be used in both the library and the meeting room. malki.jp A movable wall clad in wainscoting on one side slides along tracks in the dining-room ceiling, dividing the room into a meeting space and a library. The Shiro Simple Modern Pendant lights can be easily removed and reattached after moving the wall. vanilladesign.jp

Architect José Roberto Paredes’s crowning achievement is the freestanding concrete roof that wraps around the structure.

Triangular sails fold over the portions that receive the harshest sunlight.

The tent-like form—with an area of 2,150 square feet—extends past the perimeter of the house to shield it from the elements.

Paredes’s concept was to radiate rooms from a courtyard and join them with outdoor terraces—a move he borrowed from the traditional Moorish buildings he visited in Spain as a student. “It’s like a checkerboard of a house, where you have living spaces and patios between them,” he says.

The prohibitive cost of outfitting the structure with radiant heat led Dunbar and Astrakhan to pull down the solid south-facing rear wall for additional sunlight and solar gain.

In the living room Daphne the dog keeps company with a Case Study Day Bed from Modernica, a LCM chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, and a painting by the Brooklyn artist Joyce Kim.

The back patio overlooks a swath of forest.

Clerestory windows in Tyler's design studio provide plenty of light, while built-in bookshelves and flat files offer ample storage.

The Lyons’ younger daughter practices cello in her bedroom, which overlooks the central gallery space.

Corrugated siding usually used for roofing is used for the exterior.

Hayon and his wife, photographer Nienke Klunder, and their son, Tys, has filled his home with many of his own designs, including the Bardot sofa for Bernhardt Design and the 22 chair for Ceccotti and mint-colored armoire for Bisazza Bagno.

Floor-to-ceiling glass walls give the residents the illusion of living outdoors.

Endless possibilities!

A toy that promotes analog learning and creativity in a digital world without technology? Meet the anaPad 2, $40-70—a magnetic white board housed inside a white acrylic frame with a wooden back and 3D geometric magnetic apps. Perfect for what kids do best—doodling, endlessly arranging things around, and game playing.

Mix Method The best way to integrate different furniture styles is to treat “the space like a gallery and place objects according to their colors,” Hayon says. He cautions against using too much natural wood furniture in a space with wood floors: “You need contrast.” In his home, contrasting materials, small porcelain objects, and an occasional black form enliven a palette of light gray furniture.

A couple in Evanston, Illinois, asked John Issa of Perimeter Architects to add on a two-story, 650-square-foot addition to their traditional farmhouse. The new volume is clad in composite slate siding by Inspire Roofing Products; the windows are Pella.

The Wooden Camera in black.

Protect your precious Leicas and Hasselblads from those curious hands with the classic Wooden Camera, $30. It even has a spring-loaded shutter button and turnable lens for the real picture taking effect. Made of solid wood and a cotton strap (which is removable for younger children). Available in 5 different colors (including black not shown here).

Spur some photographic interest early on with these wooden toy cameras equipped with a strap by Twig Creative. (Pin).

Inspired by the photo sharing app Instagram, the nostalgic Anagram Wooden Camera, $35, sports the same striped colors (minus the blue) and is handmade from sustainable wood, cork, and leather.

The corrugated metal roofing is a subtle reference to the many sheds found on farms in the local area.

Paolo Box Set, $60 at The Creative Home.

The College for Creative Studies hosts a discussion area with conversations on Danish design and more. On Saturday, this area will host Architecture for Humanity's Design Open Mic from 12-5 p.m.

Stainless steel rods inserted into layered plywood make this media cabinet from Bespoke Creative extra sturdy. In the background are some bent and painted aluminum pieces.

Exactly the same as the classic wooden camera, but with an added bonus!—a nifty cork bottom. Also available in 5 different colors, $35.

The creative spaces inside the Studio Gang office.

Naef Modulon Building Blocks, $285.95 at The Creative Home.

Pousse Creative's design for a birdhouse with a "green roof."

A south elevation view of the front entry reveals its angular composition. The roofing is Spandeck by LYSAGHT in the Monument finish.

The exterior is a mix of asphalt roll roofing, SnapLock metal panels, and Hardipanel. "The cladding was something I had fantasized about for a long time," Hale says. "Most clients wouldn't be psyched about it—who knows if I'll be psyched about it in five years." But for now, the house is home to a very happy family.

"Most of us overlap on informal and formal ventures all the time," Benson says. "I'm currently working on some pro-bono work with one of the downstairs neighbors on design research. The parking lot serves as a living laboratory at times as well."