A new office sits at the front of the house, and its moody walls and bookshelves contrast the other rooms' mostly light and neutral palette.

Chickens foraging in an enclosed garden with vertical planters.

Completed in May 2018, the Crossfield Street House is the residence of architect Jonathan Pile, his wife Katherine, and their five-year-old son.

In this updated 1950s Portland home, a light gray Neo sofa by Bensen harmonizes with warm wooden walls, ceilings, and floors, as well as a red-and-mustard-yellow vintage rug.

The box-shaped extension plays off the familiar farmhouse typology, creating a series of intriguing contrasts.

A painting by Ginger’s grandmother hangs above a midcentury dining set Ginger found on Craigslist.

A modular shelf system by Alu provides a more sculptural take on the classic bathroom vanity in this Toronto home.

Architect Frederic Latherrade and his firm Zebra3 are building a fantastical system of waystations around the Bordeaux countryside to encourage hiking and exploration, such as "Le nuage."

Linda Taalman and Alan Koch, of Taalman Koch Architects, completed work on their glass iT House, a lovely, minimal home that tests the limits of living lightly on the land in the desert near Joshua Tree National Park. The bath and basin in the bathroom are by Duravit, and the orange wall is by Three Form.

Detail of the kitchen

Set to be completed in 2016 with 14 total stations, the system plays off the concept of Bruit du Frigo, according to Latherrade, small dwelling within the city limits to encourage short escapes. Each of these stations can be reserved for a short break, but beyond providing shelter, they lack any additional amenities

The Bluth family didn't see this coming: "Le Hamac" concieved by Bruit du Frigo is a kind of huge, half-covered outdoor "banana."

Quart table lamp by Rich Brilliant Willing.

When desigers Lucie Hardelay & Tristan Ponsot of the French design firm Les Ateliers Tristan & Sagitta were tasked with creating furniture for a meeting room that hosts large monthly gatherings, they realized they needed to create something that would be "an important area for a short period of time," but that would still be useful when meetings are not in session.

Villa le Lac by Le Corbusier in Coreaux, Switzerland "I was in Corseaux, in Vevey, to see a very small house: Le Corbusier's Petite Maison Coseaux (also called Villa le Lac). The house was built for his mother back in 1924. I had looked at the website, which stated it would be open for visitors, but when I arrived it was closed for construction. Just before getting into the car and returning to the hotel, I changed my mind and jumped the garden wall. Moments later I found myself all alone in this architectural curiosity." "The house is 64 square meters; it's a simple rectangular concrete structure with a garden terrace, open floor plan, and large windows. But even though it's small, Le Corbusier managed to fit a living room, a bedroom, powder room, small salon that could be converted to a bedroom for guests, vestibule, bathroom, kitchen, and closet into this house. It's the first example of modern architecture by Le Corbusier in Switzerland. The stroke of genius was a wall that he built in front of the lake obstructing the view. He designed a window in the wall, with a table and two benches inside the garden, so his mother could sit and watch the lake while being protected from the sun and wind. Sitting in front of the same window, I imagined what it might have been like, being here almost 90 years ago the day they finished construction. Did mother and son have a cup of the here? Feeling slightly guilty that I was trespassing—but still with a grin on my face—I sat there for a couple of hours in my own architecture history lesson surrounded by the Rhone valley and the Alps in Corseaux and the gorgeous view of the lake. I truly had a magic moment." —Designer Soren Rose, who was featured in Dwell's issue The Now 99.

Le Corbusier's 1923 Villa Le Lac

A look at the small reading nook located on the level between the bedroom and ground floor.

Quart Table lamp by Rich Brilliant Willing, $705 The canister shade provides strong directional light, ideal for reading, while the stone base lends richness without hogging precious space.

During the worst of the recession, companies looked to DIY and low-cost creativity to innovate. One company to jump aboard the creative revamp bandwagon is the notoriously cheap Motel 6 chain. The pillar of downmarket roadside accommodations, Motel 6 is reskinning their shabby (and not chic) interiors to give them a touch of modern minimalism and an air of modest luxury. Check out the changes here.

“Le nuage,” a cloud-shaped structure built from plywood, plexiglas, glass fiber and reinforced plastic, offers a peaceful way to leave the everyday behind.

Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Villa Savoye, Poissy. 1928-31. Model, 1932. Wood, aluminum, and plastic. 16 x 34 x 32” (40.6 x 86.4 x 81.3 cm). Model maker: Theodore Conrad. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris / FLC

Le Corbusier raised Villa Savoye on pilotis (stilts) to provide “distant views of the horizon.” Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret). (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Villa Savoye, Poissy. 1928–31. Photograph. 2012. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/FLC. Photo © Richard Pare

An early work on paper by Le Corbusier shows his fascination with landscapes. (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret). (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Blue mountains. 1910. Pencil, watercolor, black ink on paper. 6 3/8 x 7 11/16” (16.2 x 19.5 cm) Foundation Le Corbusier, Paris. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris / FLC

Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret). (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Assembly, Chandigarh. 1961-64. Model of the roof structure, 1964. Plaster and painted wood. 31 7/8 x 45 1/16 x 45 1/2 (81 x 114.5 x 115.5 cm). The Museum of Modern Art. Gift of Barbara Jakobson and the Architecture & Design Purchase Fund, 2010. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/FLC

Le Corbusier conceived his urban plan for Rio de Janiero while viewing the city during a plane ride. 1929. Aerial perspective with Guanabara Bay, the center and the beaches. (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret) (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Charcoal and pastel on paper. 29 15/16 x 31 11/16” (76 x 80.5 cm). Foundation Le Corbusier, Paris. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/FLC

Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Palace of the League of Nations, Geneva. 1927. Axonometric view from the west. Gelatin print on paper with ink, airbrush and collage additions. 53 3/8” x 57 7/8” (135.5 x 147 cm). Institut fur Geschichte und Theorie der Architektur, ETH Zurich

Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) was a leader in Purism, a movement toward clear forms indicative of the modern age. (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Nature morte (Still life). 1920. Oil on canvas. 31 7/8 x 39 1/4” (80.9 x 99.7 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Van Gogh Purchase Fund, 1937. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris / FLC

This towering, owl-shaped wooden structure is called "les guetteurs" (watchman).

Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret). (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Chapelle Notre-Dame du Haut, Ronchamp. 1950–55. Photograph. 2012. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/FLC. Photo © Richard Pare

Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Palace of the Soviets, Moscow. 1931-32. Model, 1932. Wood, paint, metal, plastic, and glass. 14 x 33 1/2 x 67” (35.6 x 85.1 x 170.2 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Special Purchase Fund, 1941. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris / FLC

The home Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret) built for his parents and his first work as an independent architect. (French, born Switzerland. 1887-1965). Villa Jeanneret-Perret, La Chaux-de-Fonds. 1912. Photograph. 2012. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/FLC. Photo © Richard Pare

A different kind of log cabin, "Le tronc creux" is an abstract wood cylinder concieved by Bruit du frigo Thidet and built by Zebra3.

This sleeping area includes a bookshelf and sconce.

Annemie Lathouwers grew up in a forested enclave on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium. A nature preserve filled with stately pines, the area lured her back when she and her husband, David D’Hulst, began thinking about trading their house in the city for greener surroundings.