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

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

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.

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

The carport screen is dotted with different-size openings, some louvered. - Austin, Texas Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

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

The Jorgensen's Menlo Park home is a model of green design with features that are smart for everyone to consider. "Every project is different, but there are some universal things that will apply from project to project," says Feldman about designing a green home. "The first—and most obvious thing—is to always try to build less, to have a smaller house and be smart about how the rooms are designed and oriented so that you can get by with less space. Smart design will lead to a smaller building, but it won't feel smaller."

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

Rian and Melissa Jorgensen's 2 Bar House in Menlo Park boasts all the usual green design suspects: energy-efficient lighting, good insulation, renewable material finishes, radiant heat, and the roof is pre-wired for future PV panels. Executed by Feldman Architecture, the house requires only natural lighting during the day which keeps energy costs way down. Still, the most stunning aspect of the green design is the living roof planted with succulents, aloe, viviums, and ice plants. "I'm absolutely glad that we did it," says Melissa. "It turned out so well and I really enjoy sitting up there and taking advantage of it as much as I can. It's very peaceful." Read more about this total remodel here.

The living room, dining room and kitchen are in one open space. The flooring is bamboo. The cabinetry is a mix of bamboo, walnut, and maple, and was fabricated by City Cabinetmakers out of San Francisco.

The countertops in the kitchen are a mix of quartz surfaces and custom and salvaged stainless steel. "We use the kitchen all of the time, it turned out really nice," says Melissa. "It's very open, certainly one of the central focuses of the house, and is fun for entertaining."

Shelter No. 2, Broisson Architects, 2008 This prefab made mostly of recycled materials is modest, but not too modest for a spiral staircase. Three levels culminate in a large skylight, which filters natural light all the way down to the ground floor's hydroponic garden.

It Will Get Loud: A Small Speaker That's Big on Sound Home audio companies are managing to make speakers smaller, more portable, and more wallet-friendly while keeping sound quality as robust as their larger (and pricier) brethren. Soundfreaq's co-founder and creative director Matthew Paprocki will demo and deconstruct the award-winning Sound Stack and demo Sound Platform 2 to let you in on the technology behind making big sound come from a tiny package. See this Saturday, June 22, at 12:30 p.m. on the Demonstration Stage.

Emigre 9 4AD (1988)

The couple asked Bryan Richards of Real Natives Landscape Design to incorporate drought-tolerant plants into the landscaping. Surrounding a table from CB2 are chairs from Design Within Reach.

The interior is furnished with Lubi Daybeds from CB2, which Howell and Porter designed to include hidden cubbies behind and beneath the cushions.

The living area is intentionally spare to accentuate the presence of the mammoth beech tree.

A new covered seating area was created on the existing redwood deck, with hanging basket lamps inspired by decorations Sharp created for the couple's wedding.

The modern dwelling incorporates its woodsy-yet-urban surrounds through copious glazing.

A couple transform their backyard into a botanical children’s playland and an ideal entertaining spot.

Circular mirrors by Dennis Luedeman join a custom walnut vanity with a counter and integrated sink by Corian. “The house is relentlessly linear, but we were able to add these more playful shapes,” Fougeron says. The faucets are V1/150 by Vola.

The model home is furnished with Muji's line of home goods.

A house in Sydney combats climate change with its own ecosystem.

SOMA Residence by Dumican Mosey Architects was an auto repair garage in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. Klari Reis and her partner Michael Isard made space for an art gallery, studio, and office in the 1923 structure, making it the perfect live/work retreat.

Part modern farmhouse, part gallery, this vacation home just outside Tahoe National Forest is composed of four distinct gable forms separated by square, stone-clad volumes. It was designed by Tahoe-based architect Clare Walton. The interiors were a collaborative effort between the owner, who is an artist and art collector, and interior designer Brittany Haines of ABD Studio. In the kitchen, a custom-made, six-person breakfast banquet, crafted from walnut, is organized around a table that features cold roll steel table top and a turned wood base that has been ebonized black.

The ultra-modern, glass-and-steel back facade now "acts as an oversized southern aperture and fully retractable gateway" for the home, says Hackett.

Whitney updated the living room by employing a light palette and rich textures. Beige linen covers the built-in sofa cushions; the pale tone maintains a feeling of spaciousness.

The interior also features numerous local touches, including a pair of oak Krysset chairs in natural leather by the Norwegian furniture company Eikund.

Helen & Hard built a pair of pine cone–shaped cabins that wrap around tree trunks in the forests of Odda, Norway.

The traditional facade of this Craftsman home in San Francisco’s Noe Valley doesn’t give away its industrial-inspired interiors and the ultra-modern, glass rear facade. Originally built in 1906, the Valley Street Project was completely reimagined by architect Ross Levy and architect and interior designer Kevin Hackett for a tech entrepreneur, a community organizer, and their two children.

When Paul and Yuki Gasiorkiewicz bought a nondescript 1930s bungalow in Echo Park, they knew right away that a redesign would be in order. But when they took a closer look at the detached garage in the rear, they discovered a surprisingly stunning view that made them scrap ideas of a renovation in favor of building a brand new accessory dwelling unit.