A custom table surrounded by NET’s Museo chairs and poplar stools provides a space for the Sarmiento Tovo boys, Manuel, 5, and Julián, 3, to play with the toys their mother makes.

Nate’s Bedroom Now three, Nate occupies coveted corner real estate in a third-floor room with a treetop-level view. “It’s a great space,” Casale says, “although it is the noisiest room in the house because of the street. But by now he’s so used to sleeping through all of the sounds, I don’t think it bothers him.” The brightness of the space is enhanced by an accent wall coated in fire engine–red chalkboard paint (Benjamin Moore Natura flat-finish paint in Vermillion mixed with unsanded grout) that Nate can scribble on—as soon as his parents get around to telling him that it’s allowed. A matching red pendant lamp from the Soho shop Kiosk hangs above a six-foot-tall teepee by Dexton Kids.

A perfect stocking stuffer, the Minim Playing Cards are a minimalist take on traditional playing cards. This refined deck will help traveling friends pass the time, and is a great set for home use as well.

Designed by graphic designer Clara von Zweigbergk, this deck of cards is recast in a minimalist style, taking it up a notch from traditional playing cards. Design-seeking kids will love the graphic print while they’re playing Go Fish or War.

No, this isn't day care—it's the Modern Family zone on the show floor in which families tested out the latest play houses and jungle gyms for the youngest of modernists.

Cal and Macy jump rope with mom and dad.

CVZ Playing Cards, $12 at the Dwell Store These playing cards will reimagine the way kids of all ages play cards. The cards include distinctive, graphic renderings of suits and face cards and a bright backing.

Martin Buser sharing a quiet moment with his three comrades.

Maja's room is filled with toys and includes a little desk area for drawing and writing.

This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.

Black and white kitchen cabinets painted with a triangular pattern add a whimsical touch to this funky kitchen.

Play the LA River wants to create an invitation for Angelenos to discover the river as it stands now, with art events, games, DIY exploration, and more, all before significant changes are set in motion.

The skylights are constantly changing the home's interiors. It's "not just day/night, or dark/light," says Bernheimer, "but the quality of light...changes at any given hour, depending on where clouds are, where the sun is, whether the moon is full or not, all dependent on the time of day, time of year, and so forth."

The kids play in the family room just beneath the stairs.

When Abbie and Bill Burton hired Marmol Radziner to design their prefab weekend home, their two requests were “simple-simple, replaceable materials,” says Abbie—such as concrete floors (poured offsite in Marmol Radziner's factory) and metal panel siding—and “the ability to be indoors or outdoors with ease.” Deep overhangs provide shade and protection from rain, so the Burtons can leave their doors open year-round and hang out on their 70-foot-long deck even in inclement weather. They visit the house once a month, usually for a week at a time, with Vinnie and Stella, their rescue Bernese Mountain dogs. Their two adult children occasionally join them. The couple hopes to one day retire here.

Near the entrance is the front room, or music room, their daughter’s current favorite play area. “Every space needed to be used efficiently,” Parisien notes of the home’s remodel.

Chicken under glass? Apolo will settle for eggs for breakfast.

The house offers endless opportunities for Taiga and Kouga to play.

Four-year-old Ian plays in the courtyard, which is the center of family life in warmer months.

Zoë plays with a model in the office.

"DIY geodesic dome structure from Play Assembly + tent by Kalon Studios at Dwell on Design Modern Family pavilion (booth #2115). #dod2014"

Five-year-old Thomas Dochter plays outside the houses.

Designed by architecture firm Arkin Tilt, Bernie Tershy and Erika Zavaleta’s 2,500-square-foot straw-bale home marries cutting-edge green technology with natural building techniques and locally sourced materials.

The concrete wall mimics the slope of the hill outside as a reference to early Maori structures that were dug into the land. The simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The ceramic works on the built-in seat at right are by Raewyn Atkinson and Robyn Lewis.

After living on and studying a woodsy acre of land in North Zealand, Denmark, architect Jesper Brask cleared a stand of pine trees and, from the timber, built a getaway open to its surroundings. The house, which Brask shares with his wife, Lene, and sons, Kristian, Jens, and Niels, is used mainly in summer, when the weather is optimal for throwing open the glass doors.

The pitched facade has a sculptural play of spruce siding and triple-glazed windows that reflect the surrounding treetops.

High design and eco-conscious thinking is the hallmark of any good contemporary kitchen, so why are kitchen playsets so stuck in the past? It has everything your little chef needs to start cooking in style.

LATTJO Card Game by IKEA, $10 at ikea stores These beautiful playing cards are ideal for memory games that increase visual recognition, concentration, and even social skills. Thick paper and laminated surfaces make for durablity as well. See IKEA's entire new LATTJO play collection here.

Mami and Goo the Kishu dog return from a frolic in the forest, which the couple, along with Hideaki, has thinned and trimmed back over many weekends. It’s an idyllic escape and a world away from the concrete expanse of Tokyo.

In Seattle's rapidly developing South Lake Union neighborhood, the Art Stable is a classic example of urban infill. Built on the site of a former horse stable, the seven-story mixed-use building carries its history into the future with highly adaptable live/work units.

Japanese showers are usually set low down so the bather can sit on a stool and scrub, then pour cedar buckets of hot water over their heads for a refreshing rinse. This homeowner in Venice, California mounted a handheld shower head on the wall for added flexibility. The drain is under the removable cedar floor slats, keeping the room design uncluttered. Wood tubs are cleaned with a simple rinse and last for decades, as the antiseptic properties of cedar guard against mold and rot. This ofuro was designed by Santiago Ortiz and fabricated by Bartok Design.

Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

Tanya, Chris, Jackson, and Zeke spend much of their day outside.

Because the house is narrow and long (16 by 68 feet), the design team decided to create a huge open-air space to light the interior naturally. Two retractable motor-driven canvas canopies shelter the space during Singapore’s frequent rains.

Cho relaxes in the first-floor living room, where paintings by up-and-coming Germany-based Chinese artist Ruo Bing Chen play off a sofa and coffee table designed by the architect himself.