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

Inspirational spaces

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

Emigre 9 4AD (1988)

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.

The homes’ interiors are open and airy. The ground-floor kitchen opens to the dining room, which leads to the the living area. There, two sets of glass doors provide access to a terrace, expanding available living space.

Hoffman enjoys the deck she built on the house's front facade.

Whitney Leigh Morris and her son West sit at a bistro table in the side garden of their tiny cottage in Venice, California.

Soft-toned wood finishes are the perfect touch for white kitchens with black countertops. The ribbon-mahogany seen here was built by Andrew Greene of Potomac Woodwork.

A peek inside Cato's room. The rainbow carpet is from Umbrella Amarella.

The kitchen features cabinetry from Danish firm, Reform which give the space an apartment-like vibe. Ceramics for sale in the kitchen include yellow pasta bowls by Domenic Frunzi and the standout checkered every day mugs by local artist Athena Witscher.

Since the room is at the windowless middle of the house, it borrows light from the kitchen, which, despite its pristine Bulthaup cabinetry and hardware, is the laid-back heart of the house. Chong took advantage of the one-and-a-half-height ceiling to establish some well-hidden storage cabinets.