Beneath the postcard-like backdrop of La Concha mountain, a previously abandoned Spanish villa received a modernist revamp for a couple and their young child. Natural, earthy interiors connect the living spaces to the lush surroundings, with the light-filled kitchen opening directly onto an outdoor pergola and pool.

The main level features a bold blue kitchen illuminated by skylights.

Inspirational spaces

British artist Hannah Sawtell and technologist Avi Flombaum created sawbaum.com, where users can create visual collages using multiple vine streams. "We wanted it to look like a visual comic book, with overlapping panels," said Flombaum. "And we wanted it to be fun!" Photo courtesy Rhizome.

Naturally rusted steel sheathes the cabins that Malek Alqadi built on a 1954 homestead outside Joshua Tree National Park. "I loved the idea of stitching the existing structure back together, reinforcing it, and giving it life again without compromising the beautiful setting it’s in," he says.

Braun KF 21 Aromaster designed by Florian Seiffert and Hartwig Hahlcke (1976), in white or orange.

A fireplace in the living room features glazed clay bricks from Swedish manufacturer Tegelbolaget. The dining table and chairs are by Kristensen & Kristensen.

Trees create beautiful shadows on the slatted courtyard fence.

“As far as minimal impact is concerned, the lightweight foundation system is part of it, and we also advocate that our customers do minimal clearing to engage their cabins in the landscape as naturally as possible,” Romanowicz says. “If your build site feels too open because you just cleared one too many trees, stop, and take a break—and maybe plant a bush to make up for it.”

A Viewrail floating stairway with glass railing.

LIVE. LOVE. LOFT.

"In the dining nook adjacent to the kitchen, there is a Bocci 21 light and a vintage table. I love thinking about how these things will travel with us for many years, like companions. Aileen and I have a strong relationship to objects: They are a tactile diary of our lives. The interesting thing about our home is not the structure itself, but the way it has become an intimate part of us. The most sustainable thing we can do as architects and designers is to make spaces and objects worthy of a lifetime commitment. Then [the objects] can have five, six, ten lives instead of half a life."

Future site view. Overgrown 21+ acre forested site.

We’ve gathered 20 of our favorite homes that maintain their midcentury flavor without sacrificing 21st-century modernizations and updates.

The cabins can house a king, queen, or two twin-sized beds.

Tantalus Studio coaxes a Palm Springs home into the 21st century with fresh finishes and a sublime palette plucked from the desert landscape.

The 115-square-foot structure is flat-packed.

Another perspective shows the kitchen to one side, as well as the garden shed out the window.

Illustration via drawastickman.com.

Large-scale glass tile lines the shower enclosure in the suite bathrooms; marble surrounds continue the material theme from the lobby.

21c is known for fusing art, design, and hospitality in their hotels, offering visitors an expertly curated and modern retreat. Designed by architect Deborah Berke, Museum Hotel Bentonville holds a large selection of contemporary art within 12,000 square feet of exhibition space that’s available for public viewing. Within the 104 rooms are custom-designed pieces by Deborah Berke Partners, including the banquette sofas lining the wall.

Photo from blackandwtf.tumblr.com

One of the witticisms found on livethesheendream.com.

21 meter infinity pool on top of the house acts as a roof

"Knot 2," Anni Albers, 1947. Both Anni and Josef Albers pushed students to consider how line, color, and form could communicate ideas to the viewer, and pursued these concepts in their own work.

Within the home, the ceiling heights range from 11 to 21 feet.

.There are 21 solar panels on the roof of the former cartshed (on the left).

Tex floor tile from Mutina, Custom walnut vanity, Bocci 21.5 pendant

A Bocci 84.21 pendant, Bensen chairs, and Delta art lighting can be found in the dining room.

Prized possessions such as the old English butcher’s block sit cheek-to-jowl with 21st-century amenities, such as the stacking ovens by Dacor, six-burner Viking stove, and Miele dishwasher.

Ulysses word cloud poster from beautifulwordsbeautifulart.com.

Lesser known but equally stunning is Pierre Koenig’s Bailey House, Case Study House #21. A simple one-story box with a flat roof, built mostly of steel and glass, Koenig achieved his goal of designing a home which was both affordable and beautiful. The Bailey House currently houses Seomi International Gallery which offers visits by appointment.

Beside the fireplace is a Nexus 21 lift system, which is used to hide the television when it’s off.

Seen from a distance, the farmhouse has a time-honored quality, though it’s still clearly a product of the 21st century.

The historic apartment has been updated throughout with white paint and minimalist accents, adapting its rustic character to the 21st-century.