Hynam built additional storage along one angled wall of the bedroom loft and beneath the skylight.

Just as the barn was extended and cantilevered over the sloped site, so too was the deck off the kitchen, which juts out toward the oak grove. “There are 125 coast live oaks on the property,” says Walker. “They’re beautiful trees, so why not exploit that?” See more ways to use oak in your home.

Life Along the Elevated, by Megan Canning, Krisanne Johnson, and Whitney Johnson, $25 from designtrust.org Published by the non-profit organization the Design Trust for Public Space, the book is the product of a photojournalism fellowship documenting life in New York City near its nearly 700 miles of elevated infrastructure, which includes bridges, highways, subway tracks, and rail lines. This title offers a glimpse the cityscape that is misunderstood, something the urbanism enthusiast or landscape designer on your list would appreciate. (Plus proceeds benefit a good cause.) “The reality is the elevated looks beautiful from afar, especially at sunset, but after spending a great deal of time photographing along it, you quickly notice the intense noise pollution, the poor lighting, and the chaotic nature of a transit hub. And these conditions are exactly what the Under the Elevated project is trying to improve,” noted photographer Krisanne Johnson.

The bathroom, which along with the laundry room is part of Siegel's renovated master bedroom.

The Tinbeerwah house and studio keep a low profile among the site’s eucalyptus trees.

A custom-fabricated sideboard of birch, in a coffee-colored stain, finds its niche among the gathering of windows.

All of the glazing along the house’s 95-foot-long western elevation can be opened to the out of doors.

The kitchen features Miele and Bosch appliances surrounded by oak flooring from Bois Ditton; the shelves are walnut.

In the open living and dining room of a hillside family home in Japan, Eames shell chairs surround a custom walnut table by Kagura. The upholstered seating is by Arflex. The architect, Masahiro Harada of Mount Fuji Architects Studio, also designed the custom kitchen island and stove vent.

The concrete continues in a bathroom, with an MGS faucet and a toilet from Foshan Fuly Bao.

Among the shop’s best-sellers are these woven wool bags.

The studio space includes room for the full-time archivist to work. Note the library-style storage along the wall, with shelves that crank along a track.

Restorick also built this quirky oak staircase with open shelving along one side. "I use accessories as the color in spaces," says Tyler, "so these items are an integral part of the overall design."

The home’s program is split up among several volumes, which are distributed along the garden.

Along with the sage, citrus trees irrigated by gray water from the house provide the couple with lemons and limes for mixing drinks, among other things.

The owners of this home decided to limit their color palate to wood tones, black, and gray. The LC4 fits right in.

This giant Styrofoam sculpture lives in Mundi along with the ready-to-wear fashions.

The Ojalá Awareness Club, designed by Jaque, is among the hippest restaurants in the city.

After a day of celebrating I walked, covered in paint, along the water.

New trees have been planted along the orchard grid to provide privacy.

The hut, which was completed in 2010, measures in at just 97 square feet and sits along the north edge of a pond. Photo by Phillip Kalantzis-Cope.

A lounge is furnished with a Mags Soft sofa, an Ella coffee table, and a pair of Ray Lounge Chairs by Foersom Hiort-Lorenzen, all from Hay, and a Wow ottoman and tabletop by Pedrali.

The school was selected by a jury out of 139 projects. The jury comprised of architects Anders Svensson, Karolina Keyzer, Carmen Izquierdo, Rahel Belatchew Lerdell and civil engineer Tomas Alsmarker. The jury was impressed by the way the building shapes the landscape and the application of wood in an educational building. The undulating roof creates expressive spaces for children to learn and play.

Having produced an array of lab ware, in 1955 Kartell was among the first companies to introduce plastic products to the home environment. The KS 1067 dustpan by Gino Colombini was among their first.

A wooden bench wraps along a dining corner, and extends along the walls towards the fireplace, where it serves as a bookshelf, then fireside bench.

Among Sofield's work is this private residence in Colorado, completed in 2007. Photo by Don Freeman.

Brush glue along the remaining edges and fold over. Set this aside to dry flat.

Sew along the rough edge about a quarter of an inch in, from end to end.

Along one wall of the master bedroom White used Columbia Forest Product’s EcoColors panels (an FSC-certified particleboard) to create sliding closet doors.

A constantly moving shaft of natural light that edges along an oak bench is a defining element in the room.

A true example of indoor-outdoor living, the kitchen space is open along one side and at each end. A large center island and simple shelving along the wall complete this minimal space.

…along with fern-like plants that keep the space open and give us a dense green environment.

The author taking a break along the road from Beijing to Shanghai to snap this self-take photo.

Canal House along the Arizona Canal in Phoenix, AZ

The woven wire steel mesh used to cloak Xeros’s east façade stands in stark contrast to Phoenix’s blue sky and the palo brea planted along the street.