The site, which overlooks the city, gave the firm an interesting natural attraction to work with. The vertical difference between the highest and lowest point is nearly 70 feet.

The makeover retained the stair's linear layout for efficient circulation, while creating moments of respite. A series of ramps divert pedestrians from the main path toward gentler, more scenic routes.

Today the outdoor space balances leisure and efficiency, providing residents with an expedient thoroughfare between buildings as well as a place for community recreation.

A spacious community playground is a popular destination at the revamped outdoor area. Ludens added plants to insert more visual contrast between the natural landscape and concrete walkways.

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"

Ludens recently finished remaking a public walkway at a housing development in the Santa Fe area of Mexico City. Due to its sharp topography, the landscape offered few incentives for residents to linger, so the firm set about making it more engaging.

Ludens capitalized on the view by orienting interactive features, such as the swing set, in its direction.

Inspirational spaces

After - exterior and new cedar fence

Flatter parts of the landscape were set aside as points of congregation. With ample seating and tables, a multipurpose pavilion provides residents with an observation deck and informal gathering place.

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.

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.

3. "Can I afford the payment on the home?" "Although lenders are not handing out money as easily as they did in 2006, it's very important to know that you can afford your house payment and live your life in other areas,” states Hoffman.

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.