The ever-changing, lush wooded surroundings of Minnesota, such as those experienced at this 8,000-square-foot Type Variant House outside of Minneapolis designed by Coen and Partners, are right near the small town of New Richland.

The stepping stone, like the skylight, was inspired by zen architecture. “In most traditional wooden houses and temples in Japan, the house is lifted above the garden, and the transition is always marked by a sculptural stepping stone,” says Bjerre-Poulsen. “We used the same principle between the old house and the addition.”

A pared-back scheme gives this room its nickname: the "Zen Room."

Stone Roses “We wanted to make the interior seamless with the outdoors, and this is the first place we blur the line,” Katie says of the “stone garden” that flows from within the entry to the deck beyond it. “My 85-year-old father picked up the rocks at the beach, a bag or two at a time, over weeks and weeks,” says Scott.

Chen Chen + Kai Williams shared the process behind their new fruit planters in a master class at the Bowery Hotel hosted by Sight Unseen. Attendees cast molds of their own and left with the next best thing to a Chen and Kai original—one they’d made themselves.

Eric Schneider and Michael Chen take in the space-efficient renovation.

Italian furniture designer Exteta handcrafts the right-angular Zen table from solid Canadian red cedar.

Chen Chen and Kai Williams's Gingko Lamp combines urethane resin, wood, fabric, and acrylic in a terrazzo-like creation.

Tubs can be partly sunk for easier access, as in this tub from Zen BathWorks. The river rocks at the base hide a linear drain, but tubs can also have a regular overflow or drain onto a wet-proofed bathroom floor, says Bill Finlay, of Zen BathWorks. Jennifer Aniston bought a Port Orford Cedar tub from him when she turned the “his” part of the bathroom she shared with Brad Pitt into a spa after the couple split up. Bill says many customers site their tub, known as an ofuro in Japanese, to enjoy a view. Photo courtesy of: Zen BathWorks

Park Avenue Prewar Apartment by Michael K. Chen Architecture

Shoes Off The McDonalds wanted a comfortable place for people to remove their shoes, so the architects built a niche for a bench. The McDonalds hired local case-goods maker James Dean to craft a floating flitch-cut slab of black walnut—what Bardt calls “the affordable Nakashima moment.”

Zen BathWorks strengthened this large tub with an apron that doubles as a cup rest. The room’s walls are wood-clad to reduce visual clutter and the tub rim is indented to direct water towards a floor drain shared by a shower. Soaking tubs are often smaller than conventional tubs as the bather sits with knees to chest-great if you have a small bathroom but want a tub. Sides can be sloped or straight and wood with knots generally costs less than straight-grained planks. If you’re curious about cedar’s scent, the bars sold in hardware stores for use as a moth-repellent give a general idea. Photo courtesy of: Zen BathWorks

No 8 "Garden Tray" (2015) by Chen Chen and Kai Williams, from $5,000 at Chamber Measuring 18 by 24 inches, this miniature desktop arrangement by Chen & Kai reimagines the traditional Japanese tray garden. A study of geometry and industrial materials, it incorporates stark, rectinlinear forms made from aluminum foam and resin-treated travertine alongside natural stone and a tiny dwarf bonsai.

Architect Marco Casagrande designed the Chen House to make use of the nearby Datun River’s breeze. Raising the house on stilts reduces the building’s impact on the earth while preserving the home from flood waters that run underneath post-storm. Sanjhih, Taipei, Taiwan. Photo by Lukas Casagrande.

This owner created an enclosed garden to enjoy his soaking tub, enhancing the feel of a private sanctuary by carefully placing a mirror that reflects a lantern and path. Zen BathWorks in Alaska (formerly Sea Otter Works) made this Red Cedar tub, and sometimes has popular sizes ready to ship. Notice the drain to capture water flowing over the top. Photo courtesy of: Zen BathWorks

In Guang’s office, Chen designed a lacquered desk to join the Philippe Starck chair, Louis Poulsen desk lamp, and Chinese folk "drum stools."

Two images from the grid of ten.

The promo unfolds to show 10 images on the front side.

The images are laid out in a nice grid formation.

The other side of the Zen's promo shows us ten film stills.

The front of recent photo promo by Zen Sekizawa

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.

The eponymous founder and principal of Michael K. Chen Architecture resuscitated a four-story, 3,600-square-foot home in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood that was built in 1895 and had been abandoned for 20 years. Its newest owners—a tech investor and an art teacher at a public school—were inspired by the playful color palette that was still apparent underneath the building’s decay. "We had epic color palette meetings, looking at deck after deck for paint colors that spoke to us or provoked a particular sensation,” says Chen. “You don’t look at the color, you inhabit it.”

A minimal material palette of oiled yellow birch and oxidized steel gives the interiors a Japanese-inspired, Zen-like feel.

Chen used high-contrast materials to lighten the space, which has only one window. He lined the kitchen in glossy 3-D tile from Ann Sacks, and wall covering from Flat Vernacular. He removed the rear wall of the kitchen and replaced it with a sliding acid-etched glass partition, which picks up ambient light from windows in the service entrance. Chen installed drawers below the white marble countertops and swapped out overhead cabinets for full-height cabinets in the pantry. Under the glass partition, a thick counter of striped Kenya Black marble adds doubles as a bar top and work surface.

A previous homeowner recreated the open patio and breezeway according to Schindler's original plans. A koi pond with waterfall create an atmosphere of Zen.

Architect Michael K. Chen, founder and principal of the eponymous New York–based firm, resuscitated a four-story, 3600-square-foot home that had been abandoned for 20 years by incorporating a playful color palette and interesting details, such as this oval-shaped skylight.

On an organic beef ranch in Wyoming, Lynn Morrison and her architect James Cline, specified a two-person wide tub of Port Orford Cedar, canted to 5 degrees at the ends and long enough to recline. Lynn likes to relax as she gazes at the plains outside. “I love the lemony scent that fills the room when the tub is full of hot water,” she says. The tub is from Zen BathWorks, which also sells acrylic soaking tubs. Photo courtesy of: Zen BathWorks

Rodriguez, a designer and architect who runs the studio Agi Miagi, created the pendant lamp and terrariums in the dining area. The space is open to the living area, where Brown’s son, Hugo, sits on a Living Divani sofa. The countertop-table is by Bercy Chen Studio.

Zen Barn - Architects Challenge 2014 The design of the Zen Barn in Ottawa embraces the materials, methods, and forms of traditional northeastern rural architecture while adding a definitive modern twist. Architect: Rick Shean & Christopher Simmonds, Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc. #marvin #windows #doors #barn #zen #architectschallenge

Zen Barn - Architects Challenge 2014 The design of the Zen Barn in Ottawa embraces the materials, methods, and forms of traditional northeastern rural architecture while adding a definitive modern twist. Architects: Rick Shean and Christopher Simmonds; Architecture Firm: Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc.; Photo by Peter Fritz #marvin #windows #doors #barn #zen #architectschallenge

The tea room overlooks a petite outdoor space. Chen’s eye for scale guided the home’s build as well. "Bob’s father is a carpenter. He has been observing lines since he was a little boy," says Guang. "He is extremely sensitive when it comes to corners and lines."

To create the illusion of space, Chen added mirrored cabinetry and skirting in the living room.

Natalie and Lauren wanted to replicate the feel of a Zen garden with their home’s central courtyard. The garden features a Japanese maple that pops against the charred timber cladding, while structurally, the U-shape design ushers light right through to the back of the house.

The bulk of Chen's budget went to the new galley kitchen with Dekton Kelya engineered stone countertops and backsplash.

What is the best design book to give as a gift? Collecting Eames: The JF Chen Collection, by Grant Taylor (JF Chen, 2011), $62.