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

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

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

Sleeping nooks that look like the grooves in a block of cheese.

A passage between the walls for hide and seek.

Perched just above the edge of the Narrows, the house is an ideal place to live surrounded by the wild beauty of Ketchikan.

Architect Dan Brunn's #9 Dream House captures the contemporary style of the designers Dwell selected for Decorist.

Tucked away in California’s Sierra National Forest, this remote and rentable vacation home has a cozy interior that embraces outdoor views.

Platform is being framed out in 2' x 6' wood studs.

Coffee and Tea Set, 1995-1996. Zaha Hadid (Iraqi, b. 1950). Sterling silver. Overall: 18 1/2 x 22 1/16 x 14 3/16 in, Tea Pot: 3 1/8 x 5 7/8 x 11 in, Coffee Pot: 3 15/16 x 3 9/16 x 11 in, Milk Jug: 2 3/4 x 7 7/8 x 3 9/16 in, Sugar Bowl: 2 3/4 x 3 9/16 x 3 15/16 in. Silver. Made by Sawaya & Moroni, Milan, Italy. Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!

OneButton chose Definitive Technology’s DI 6.5S models for their superb sound quality and matte-white finish. A Corian grille hides the subwoofer.

Lightroom 1.0, a photography studio, is a freestanding structure on the property. “Together, they represent an autobiography of my career,” Carpenter says.

The finished print measures approximately 5 x 5 feet.

The second-floor plan: 1. Rooftop garden, 2. Media room, 3. Guest bedroom, 4. Bathroom, 5. Deck.

The exterior of Connect 4L 1,600 sf 3 bed 3 bath 2 story modern prefab.

The unit is 3.5 meters long and 2.4 meters tall, and is a chic focal point in the room.

Based in New York City, Cocoon9 takes a unique approach to prefab homes, offering a line of tiny homes with high-quality construction and finishes, smart technology, energy efficiencies, and versatile spaces that are ready for the modern market.

The extensive use of natural wood on nearly every surface makes the inside of The Barn feel like an extension of the landscape outside.

A mosaic tile wall softens the laboratory-like effect of the glossy kitchen cabinets.

Stairs on 2.6 x 0.75 m

This artist’s studio was created out of two bays on the second floor of a former warehouse. Sliding and pivoting 9’x9’ wall panels run adjacent to the large central wood beam and allow the 3,750 square-foot space to be reconfigured as needed. A "working wall" runs the entire length of the south wall, pulling away from the exterior wall in one area to provide space for a utility room and bathroom. A new steel stair was inserted to connect the ground floor to the studio and up to a small roof deck. A skylight tops the stairwell to bring daylight into the studio and down to the entrance. The building’s history and its uses remain evident in the patina of the floors which were simply cleaned rather than resurfaced. Photo by Benjamin Benschneider.

In this glass-enclosed master bedroom, a LC4 armchair faces the master bed. The moveable frame adjusts along the base, allowing the sitter to switch from upright to full recline, or lounge at a number of other sitting angles.

The Japanese "no-brand" masters of minimalism unveil the first single-story design in their line of prefab homes.

Named Los Terrenos, meaning The Terrains, this retreat in Monterrey, Mexico, was designed by Mexico City–based architect Tatiana Bilbao to reflect the lush woodland hillside it sits on. The dwelling consists of two volumes made of rammed earth, terracotta clay bricks, and a facade clad in mirrored glass.

A double-sided, free-standing vanity and a shower wrapped in a glass lozenge create an indoor/outdoor experience at a San Francisco residence designed by Fougeron Architecture.

"It was rundown, dark, and divided," recalls Masaaki of his first impression of the warehouse, the ground floor of a multistory apartment building. But after some thought, Masaaki, a Japanese-born architect, and Esther, an artist from Minorca, realized that owning the combined 2,700 square feet would allow them to headquarter Mas-aqui, the architecture and design firm they were planning to start, on-site. They bought the property and within months transformed it into a bright, modern live/work space.

The addition measures 6.2 x 6.5m

The dining area features a PH5 pendant by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen, a T12 table by Hay, and Møller Model 77 side chairs. A 1960s rocking chair by Vladimir Kagan sets off the living area.

The two tiny homes were designed by CAST Architecture.

Due to the lot’s small size, Cloud9 placed the garage beneath the house.

NOEM, a Barcelona–based architecture firm, created a metal-clad house for a young client just outside Madrid. It’s raised 12 feet off the ground to offer better views of the landscape, lending it "the futuristic feeling that it just landed," says Pol Guiu, one of NOEM’s cofounders.

A spacious deck and large glass doors allow for seamless indoor/outdoor living.