Schneidman House and owner, Kristin MacDowell (MHA 301). In 1946, a group of returning servicemen began talks of creating a housing cooperative to build a utopian community on a dusty hillside above Los Angeles. Soon, more than 400 families were on board, and the Mutual Housing Association was born.

The 301-square-foot cabin is situated on 99 acres on Bruny Island, an island off the coast of Tasmania. For the exterior, the architects have chosen materials that "comply with the Bushfire Attack Level of 19," they explain, including bushfire resistant wood and zincalume metal. The cabin collects its own rainwater—storage tanks are underground for an uncluttered look—and the roof sports solar panels.

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

Both the sitting and standing versions of DESK 01, a collaboration between Artifox and IdeaPaint, are outfitted with dry erase surfaces for recording sudden bursts of creativity.

Style: "#1"

dwell Residency: 301

Body Chair 30.1 fabric

The cabins vary in size, offering between 301 and 624 square feet of space.

Penthouse 301, spacious and inviting floorplan. Custom designed furnishings

The primary living space of Unit 301 offers 2,500 square feet of light-filled loft space.

Broadway Lofts Unit #301 integrates warm, rich wood with cooler metals and glass for a sense of full spectrum surroundings.

Top 9 Kitchens of 2020: The nominees for this year’s Dwell Design Awards are the epitome of style and function.

Lauren and Brittan Ellingson, the owners of Notice Snowboards, a custom snowboard and wakesurf company in Whitefish, Montana, approached Workaday Design and builder Mindful Designs to concoct a new lake home for their family. The brief was, perhaps unsurprisingly, focused on getting the family outdoors as much as possible.

The Lofthouse is built one of the many hills separating it from the couple’s main residence. "Excavation was a challenge, as we wanted to maintain as much of the existing landscape as possible, but needed to clear out trees for the foundation," says Tarah.

The architects designed the home’s expansion with the knowledge that the owners plan to continue the renovation when their budget allows it. "We wanted to put everything in the right place so it doesn’t have to be undone later," says Corti.

Parota wood continues in the spacious kitchen. Marisa and Christopher found the blue tile that runs throughout the home on a trip to León, Mexico. "It called out to us," says Christopher. Festooned with small stars, its tone matches the color of the ocean perfectly.

Houston-based designer Barbara Hill is known for a stripped-down aesthetic that blends art-world cachet with Texas modernism. Vitra’s Slow chair sits in front of a powder-coated-steel bookcase made by Hill’s go-to fabricator, George Sacaris; it was originally built for the Houston house.

The architects embraced the modernist form of the new structure instead of cladding the extension in expensive brick to match the original Victorian’s exterior.

When architect Antonio Monserrat transformed an old 800-square-foot Brooklyn loft into his new home, he imbued his love of colorful, multifunctional design into an eye-catching renovation. Once used as a bakery in the early 20th century, the postindustrial space came with great bones—original exposed timber beams, 12-foot ceilings and large windows—that Monserrat used as a backdrop for his playful color choices, small-scale studio prototypes, and contemporary furnishings. From the emerald-green entryway with a hot-pink ceiling to the sunshine-yellow Kartell storage pieces, the Spanish architect’s loft beautifully blends creative inspiration with functionality.

At Under, a Snøhetta-designed restaurant balanced on the Norwegian coast, guests dine 16 feet below the ocean’s surface. The tilted concrete tube gives the impression that it’s sliding into the sea. “The idea was to make a tube that would bring people from above sea level down under the sea,” lead architect Rune Grasdal told Dezeen. “That transition is easy to understand, but it’s also the most effective way to do it. It also feels secure, but you don’t feel trapped.” The angle was also designed with the building’s aquatic neighbors in mind. Over time the structure will become part of its environment, acting as an artificial reef. Marine research tools like cameras have been installed outside the restaurant to help scientists learn about the population, behavior, and diversity of the species living in this part of the North Atlantic.

Located within walking distance to the coastal village of Matanzas, the two Maralto cabins are named La Loica and La Tagua after local bird species.

The Franklin stove adds an authentic touch to the updated cabin.

In lieu of a checkerboard effect, Kovel kept his carpet squares all vibrantly verdant. With the bamboo cabinets and countertops the whole space has a pastoral feel. “I wanted it to be like the Bradys’ backyard,” he says.

A "time and materials" contract outlines a set price for labor and materials based on hourly rates or price per quantity.

Tweak, another kitty, sits at the brass-clad kitchen island on a Ghost stool by Philippe Starck.

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves provide ample storage for books and memorabilia.

Pine plywood complements the home's bright white walls and beams, while the heightened ceilings and multiple windows make the space feel larger than its 527 square feet.

The 540-square-foot one-bedroom apartment that architect Pierre Escobar, of L'atelier Nomadic Architecture Studio, recreated as a three-bedroom home for a family of five features a narrow doorway that accesses a bedroom off the kitchen.

1. "Why is buying a home important to me?" Marie Hoffman, co-owner of The Hoffman Murphy Real Estate Team in Los Angeles, explains: "You should have two reasons for why it will support your happiness and two reasons for how it will support your short and long-term goals. This will help you navigate challenges later on. When things get tough, it's good to check in on the 'big why' of buying.”

The outside deck, made of local celery-top pine, welcomes both humans and the natural landscape further into the house.

Top designers give their advice about how to choose a stylish, functional faucet and what it will cost. Hint: it’s more than you may think.