Set on an east-west axis, the home stays cool with shading south-facing glass, minimal west-facing glass, and operable windows that allow for natural ventilation. Energy recovery ventilators also bring fresh air into the home.

A Seattle family tasked Atmosphere Design Build with creating a sustainable dwelling in Nevada City, California, the matriarch's hometown and a historic mining community. The firm's material-driven approach channels the pioneer spirit of the gold rush, without compromising comfort or high-efficiency standards.

The curved blue kitchen larder has a projecting “nose” that illuminates the worktop and a mirrored eye that “winks” each time the door is opened.

The green backsplash tiles are vintage, reclaimed from another project.

The ladder-like staircase was designed as a modern, whimsical addition to an otherwise midcentury-focused design. "I use it as a drying rack,

Marble is a beautiful natural material—but one of our industry experts thought it received too much attention in 2022.

Simpatico Homes founder Seth Krubiner has lived in the prefab company’s nearly net-zero prototype since it was customized and lifted onsite in 2011.

Components for low-cost prefab homes designed by Habitat for Humanity and the firm Minarc for South Central Los Angeles were trucked in and assembled over three days. Photos by Art Gray.

Rice surfs the net at the built-in desk.

"Also check the basement for radon in the winter,” she says. “Radon levels tend to be higher when it’s cold, and if you have to trench the floor, it is better to do it before you fill your basement with stuff.”

Both cabins are elevated on wooden pillars about 260 feet above sea level.

Most impressive of all, a solar array on the roof empowers the residents to produce more energy than they consume on-site.

The side walls have been treated as vertical extension of the horizontal surface of the garden, and are used for growing climbers such as jasmine, grapes, honeysuckle, raspberries, beans, peas, and even a climbing fig. Colorful bird’s houses and bug hotels are also mounted on the walls.

Vintage Alvar Aalto Table Model 91 “I thought it would be interesting to include a piece of vintage furniture, since that’s where we got our start. It’s a bold and big table for such a restrained designer, with chunky legs and decorative veneer. It’s big for 1930’s standards, and still has labels and stickers on the bottom, including one from Harvey Nichols, the original importer.”

A view of the installation at the House for Contemporary Art in Belgium.

Numen's Net, occupied by gallery attendees.

Since the home is something of a pied-à-terre for the clients, its design is geared more toward short-term stays than full-time living. That means spaces like the kitchen are set up for entertaining. Notice the curve on the cabinetry, counter, and backsplash, which is Calacatta Macchia Vecchia marble. All of the appliances are from Fisher & Paykel, and the wall sconce is a Gabriel Scott single Welles pendant in smoked glass and brushed brass.

A painting by Yael hangs near the Murphy bed in the make-shift guest sleeping quarters.

The D-Fin House gets its name from a loft space that projects from the main level like the skeg of a vintage surfboard. Owner Mitch Marks uses the area as an office. Steely designed the pine bookcase, and the Eames Group chair is from Herman Miller. A Haiku ceiling fan from Big Ass Fans ushers in fresh air and cool seaside breezes.

The living room is dubbed the "Ladies Who Lunch" room. Benjamin Moore’s Chippendale Rosetone covers the walls, in rich contrast to the preserved wood ceiling, and a medley of vintage furnishings fills out the space. The rug is from IKEA and the chandelier is Schoolhouse Electric.

The home features silent and cozy radiant floor heating—a very forward-thinking feature—and there is not a single heating vent or visible outlet in sight.

One of the home's bathrooms features wallpaper from Etsy retailer AwallonDesign.

The spaces are harmoniously linked by color and material palette. In the dining area, the round travertine table mirrors the paper lanterns by Isamu Noguchi suspended above, and vintage cane Cesca Chairs by Marcel Breuer completes the warm tableau.

The new addition is spanned by a sliding glass door to the kitchen, bringing in much more natural light and creating easy flow between inside and out. The owners especially appreciate how the new deck is at grade with the exterior door for a seamless transition, making the kitchen feel “a part of the garden,” says the homeowner.

The shower room and WC on the lower ground floor is accessed via the utility room, which also features counters by Smile Plastics.

The pink bench enclosure with blue upholstered cushions is a place for the family to nestle and relax. The large mint-green table in the dining area is from Artiform’s Palladio range, and the large yellow Strom jug was designed by Nicholai Wiigh Hansen for Raawii.

Anna and Jakob Busch enlist the help of loved ones to construct a spruce-wrapped tiny home for $35,000.

Nothing but WOW ❤️❤️❤️

The 360 degree Chair and Stool for Magis, 2009.

At a net-zero home in San Francisco, the house's green roof is more of a brown roof: a desert-like array of native and non-native succulents that require minimal irrigation. The soil area is maintained with motorcycle tires (including one from a Harley hog), which control erosion. Composting takes place here as well.

The kitchen island is nine-and-a-half feet long, made possible by knocking down non-load-bearing walls and enlarging the room’s footprint. The island is “much larger than what most people would do in that space, because it's not that large of a space, but knocking down those walls and going with a large island makes the kitchen feel a lot more grand,” says Devlin.

Metal shingles cut from scraps of sheet metal mix with new material as well as odds and ends, such as a road sign Baker bought at the Alameda Flea market. Baker designed stainless steel clips that allow any tile to be easily moved or replaced without the use of tools. Planter box panels add functionality to the facade and can be swapped out or relocated throughout the year.

With its emphasis on the outdoors, the petite shelter in Normandy offers room to roam.

Signorino wall tiles in opal white meet Lapege’s Colombino RB36 porcelain floor tiles.