Saarinen 20r 20h End Table Used as a nightstand, this Saarinen classic is as sophisticated as they come. $599

20K Show Homes The centerpiece of the Rural Studio program is the 20K House. The price is calculated by looking at the highest mortgage someone on Social Security can afford. They normally cost roughly $12,000 for materials and $8,000 for contracted labor and profit. Photo by Tim Hursley

Apartment Therapy window competition, Jaunary 20, 2009.

Haines House by Christopher Polly in Newtown, Australia

Zippy, energetic type treatments from the 20s and 30s.

Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.

The owners toured this home, which surrounds a mature tipu tipu tree, while visiting relatives for the day. The brick is original to the 1947 construction.

Sliding doors by Quantum were made to look like the original panes that couldn't be saved, and they lead to a fire pit outside.

“A building can have far greater impact than the space it stands in.”—William Carpenter, architect and resident

Studio Rick Joy’s latest project, a five-story apartment building with two separate units, is set on a quiet street in the thriving, upscale neighborhood of Polanco, in the heart of Mexico City. It’s a departure from the firm’s usual work—the Tucson-based studio tends towards poetically minimalist homes surrounded by sweeping natural landscapes. In Tennyson 205, the firm successfully instills a sense of place and greenery within an infill project set in a bustling city.

Based in South Carolina, Jacqueline and Josh LaDue gave their 31-foot RV a makeover on a budget of just $2,000.

New zoning allowed for a zero-lot-line structure, but required a public storefront, which Carpenter uses as an art gallery.

This coffee table retails for $200.

The bathroom integrates a sense of the outdoors.

See Arch restored the exterior fireplace wall and painted it a deep blue hue to match the repainted blue timber cladding.

Library; brass starburst ceiling light fixture brings a sense of ‘20s era glamour. Vintage sofa by Gerard van den Berg.

There are two stool heights available, both featuring a different cross bar variation. This is the 20” version.

When Jean-Guy Chabauty and Chris Barrie of Atelier Moderno began tackling the space, they decided to stay true to the character and grace of the old autobody shop. "We wanted to retain the spirit and the grit of the original space as much as possible, while creating something modern, comfortable, and alluring," says Barrie. "Sometimes you really need to work to get that character." After playing with a few options for the 1,600-square-foot building, they decided to keep the existing envelope untouched, instead focusing the bulk of the $250,000 renovation project on building out an open interior that included reclaimed and rich materials.

The kitchen area was built around the concept of different surfaces working together: stainless steel countertops for work, white Corian for preparation, and solid white oak for storage. A landscape painting by Chabauty's grandfather hangs above the sink, adding a note of serenity to the room. The kitchen contains a Viking range and oven, a Bosch 800 Plus Series dishwasher, a KWC Eve faucet, a Liebherr HRB 1100 refrigerator. Artek A110 Pendants hang above the dining table, a custom oak piece surrounded by chairs from HAY.

The Kelleys furnished the cottage with help from Suzanne’s daughter Betsy Burbank of Betsy Burbank Interiors. Classic modernist icons, such as a Saarinen Womb chair for Knoll, a Herman Miller Eames lounge chair, and an Eileen Grey E1027 side table look at home alongside present-day pieces such as an Encore sofa (which handily folds down into a sleeping surface) from Room & Board and a Doka rug designed and produced by Stephanie Odegard. The Wohlert pendant lights from Louis Poulsen were designed by Vilhelm Wohlert in 1959, but grouped as such, they appear distinctly contemporary.

While a two-story structure did not meet the zoning code, Richard Neutra bypassed that via his design of a "gloriette," an outdoor room flanked by aluminum louvers. Those panels shelter the home against the harsh desert elements and were recreated as part of the five-year restoration of Richard Neutra's original design. Photo: Tim Street-Porter

The open living space showcases the bright, streamlined furniture pieces of Chabauty's own creation (apart from a few vintage pieces, the bulk of the furniture in the home is custom-made).

The bath’s Kohler Purist fixtures and Frederick Weinberg animal figures sit on a Corian countertop

In the bathroom, a small bioethanol EcoSmart burner, along with radiant hydronic in-floor heating, provides warmth in a stark space.

Chabauty chose a black door on the outside of the structure to maintain the original, unassuming exterior. It can still throw off guests who aren't sure what to expect when they walk inside. "People still think it's a business or an office," he says. "They're always surprised."

A close-up of the steel counter shows the Artemide Miconos lamp hanging near the sink, as well as the diffused light that streams in via a set of skylights arranged throughout the roof.

An example of a space with good bones, the original shop floor provided the designers with a blank canvas.

Reclaimed materials, such as this discolored door, play against the sleek modern touches inside. "You can really feel the old shop," says Chabauty. "It’s a great contrast."

The Airstream Haus’s interior is minimalist, but comfortable, boasting a fully functional kitchen and queen-size bed that doubles as a couch.

Kai and Téa brush their teeth in the upstairs bathroom shared by all. “We went with the 1950s thing—a family bathroom,” explains Blatt. The sinks are by Kohler.