Key to the space-efficient floor plan is a strategically placed set of recessed areas, includingthe sleeping nook and writing desk.

Barbara Hill's Dancehall/House in Marfa, Texas September 14, 2010 Misty Keasle

A writing desk is paired with a classic Series 7 chair by Arne Jacobsen.

Have your children help you go through their book collections and pick out what books they haven't read yet. If you are able to safely leave your home, you can coordinate curbside dropoff book exchanges with friends.

Large screens on the second story windows are a low-tech way to protect the interior from the sun's blistering rays, but still allow natural light to flow inside. In the family room, Melissa reclines on a Togo sofa by Ligne Roset with a favorite book in hand.

On one side of the house, a white central staircase leads to a split-level landing the Robertsons call "the reading room." "We needed a place to hang out and for the kids to read," explains owner Vivi Nguyen-Robertson. Awaiting the birth of the couple's son, she relaxes in a built-in reading nook in the library.

Read something. If you already watched Contagion, try out some pandemic-related reading—Severance by Ling Ma, or Pale Horse Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter. Or, read the Social Distancing Manifesto. Find out what the heck “Cottagecore” means. Hint: it’s as quaint as it sounds. Create an Instagram account for your pet. If ever there was a time to post and share infinity pictures of your cute (or ugly) dog doing cute things, this is it. Dream about travel. Dive into Dwell Travel stories to plan that next trip, for when this whole thing finally settles down.

Their creative confections may ruin our diets, but we’re happy to be their taste testers anytime.

A 500-square-foot outdoor space with a grill, a table, and a hammock sits just off the entrance level of the townhouse, offering extra room for dining, relaxing, and entertaining. The corner couch is a custom piece inspired by the large cushions of Moroccan sofas. The Fermob table is paired with Hay Hee dining chairs by Hay.

The Trues host parties in the glass-walled structure, located steps from their vacation home, or they escape to it to catch some rays and read a book. Bill reclines on cushions hidden under the reclaimed-fir floorboards that are propped up with Sugatsune hinges.

Our kids are our future—teach them to be conscientious and kind to Mother Earth with these sweet, informative children’s books.

The culmination of the collaboration was the design’s simplicity: a single neutral, durable, versatile volume that can easily host a changing collection of hobbies, art, furniture, and guests.

Maja and Asa hang out in the guestroom, which also doubles as storage space with an entire wall of closets along one end.

Davor (with his wife, Abbe, and son, August) designed the main living and dining pavilion as a double-height space to increase its perceived volume, and added high cubbies for extra storage.

60 years Founded by Aurelio Zanotta in 1954, Zanotta has established itself at the forefront of Italian design, collaborating with famed architects and designers such as Ettore Sottsass, Achille Castiglioni and Gae Aulenti. Their Quaderna desk, designed by Superstudio in 1970, is an important part of this legacy. Photo courtesy of Zanotta.

The steel-clad Rolling Huts designed by Olson Kundig Architects in Manzama, Washington, sit lightly on the land thanks to wheels that allow the tiny residences to "hover" above the site, optimizing views of the landscape. Photo by Derek Pirozzi.

The Kaschkasch Floor Mirror is a decidedly modern home accent that is designed with small spaces and apartment living in mind. The full-body mirror has a triangular shaped frame, making it easy to fit into the corner of a room.

The glass-enclosed master bedroom floats above the corrugated, oxidized steel exterior.

A cozy reading nook fits underneath the stairs, saving floor space in the 1690-square-foot home.

A well-placed writing desk takes advantage of the view.

This dreamy, glass bedroom by the lake was created as an early prototype for the prefabricated greenhouse/she kits known as the Kekkilä Green Sheds.

A guest bedroom, with furniture from Room & Board, overlooks the bridge above the dining courtyard. The home’s landscape architecture is by Ventura, California–based Jack Kiesel. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

A small, dilapidated 10' x 12' neighboring structure was brought back to life and is now used as an art studio and guest cottage with a Murphy bed. In total, the property can sleep 10 people comfortably.

Marco V. Morelli says his Studio Shed is the perfect refuge. “It’s changed my life for the better,” he says. “I’ve gotten so much more work done, and I think my marital relations are much better because I have a place of my own.”

The bi-level car barn, a spare, timber-clad structure with an A-frame roof, nods to traditional farmhouses, but is “sleek and contemporary in spirit,” says Geremia. Inspired by an old photo of a porcelain farmhouse sink, it features polished concrete floors.

Despite its small footprint, the flexible, multi-purpose space includes bike storage and a niche for storing weights.

This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.

Inside, playful pillows can be rearranged in any manner, and are often used as mock beds for relaxing and looking at the canopies above.

Working with his colleagues at Austin Maynard Architects, architect Andrew Maynard added a 184-square-foot, sun-saturated greenhouse extension to his existing 364-square-foot home, and the new space serves as an office for him and his team.

Fir plywood from Freres Lumber joins IKEA cabinets. The figure painting is by Dylan Dean.

Although Wakebayashi is not a professional Noh actor, he performs in front of an audience once or twice a year. For these performances, his preparation goes beyond memorizing lyrics and choreography—he sometimes even visits temples and locations where the story is set. “I need to understand the contents of the Noh play, which is how the main character feels, and the background of the story including history,” says Wakebayashi.

The home’s Noh stage is constructed of hinoki cypress. On the back wall, Kagami-ita—which literally translates to “mirror board”—is a polished board on which the sacred pine tree is depicted. “It serves as an echo board for the sound on the stage, and is known as the large pine tree that first catches the eye upon entering the Noh theater,” says architect Takanori Maita.

A double-height space encompasses the kitchen, dining and living area, and features 36-feet-wide glass doors that pocket into southern and northern walls.