Hidden Storage The Murphy bed in the guest bedroom sits behind Montague’s desk, allowing the compact room to function comfortably for working and sleeping at different times. It’s made with customized millwork, Häfele bed hardware, and an Ikea mattress. When it’s open, it reveals hidden shelving. hafele.com ikea.com

The Lonely Seagull Magazine: Art, writing, thinking, music, place, animals, and people, $10

Open-Door Policy “These big sliding doors allow us to open the bedrooms right up or close them down,” says Bernier, noting that he built the doors on-site from birch boards to keep costs down and then used tracks and hardware from K. N. Crowder. “For now, the kids don’t like it when I close them too much,” but as they approach their teenage years, it will be easy to create more privacy. kncrowder.com

These non-obvious gifts are perfect for even the hardest-to-shop-for guys.

Choosing not to make a big to-do of itself, this cottage blends in with its surroundings. A wall of glass on one end allows a merger of the outdoors with the interiors, while white trim leaves the appearance of a snow-kissed façade year-round. Berlin, Germany. By Atelier st Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

Transformer or beach hut? Positioned in a coastal erosion zone, this holiday retreat for a family of five is completely capable of being relocated. An oversized shutter allows for protection from the elements when not in use and opens to allow sun in during the winter or provide shade on hot summer days. Waikato, New Zealand. By Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects, from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

For an escape from bustling San Francisco, architect Craig Steely and his wife Cathy have created a modernist getaway on a lava field next to a black sand beach on Hawaii’s Big Island. Fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the ocean, the steel-framed home is one of several homes that Steely built on the recently active lava field.

The veranda looks out onto the harbor.

Stuth and Shelton's bedroom.

The office looks out on the spacious deck.

The architects added a small circular skylight to serve as a vertical focal point in the center of the fifth floor. The quarter-sawn white oak risers produce a beautiful rippled grain highlighted by the abundant natural light.

Johan Bouwmeester built a library out of oak.

Ando, a Shiba Inu, was in the first Puppy Cam litter.

Big Walnut Bowl Handmade in Canada and finished with a natural oil/beeswax mixture, this serving bowl is a handsome addition to any tablescape.

Delightfully simple, yet wonderfully functional, the rainbow-hued trivet offers an attractive way to protect tabletops from hot pots. $20 from areaware.com.

If tidiness is paramount for the family, a place for the kids to play outdoors is equally important. The climbing wall at the back of the garden is entirely the work of Mark Tiarks, who built the Composite House and who relished a chance to step out from beneath Tozer’s plans and design an aspect of the house himself.

An aluminum-framed door leading to the terrace provides an added sense of depth, integrating outside with inside. Here, the metal contrasts sharply with the natural birch flooring.

Michael tends to his capons in a Big Green Egg.

Jon Ahrens of Madrone Landscaping, who layed out the plantings around the container, implemented a green roof on a drip watering system. The cantilevered overhang at rear is planted with cacti.

Updating the A-frame of yore, this home’s liberal use of windows makes the most of panoramic views spanning two valleys. Catalonia, Spain. Cadaval & Sola-Morales from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

A wooden home nestled amongst a cluster of Japanese larch trees offers a perfect sanctuary from nearby Tokyo. Chubu, Japan. By Koji Tsutsui & Associates from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

Those seeking isolation and inspiration to tackle their work need look no further. A minimalist cube set against a picturesque background form a studio free of distraction, except maybe that view! Newfoundland, Canada. By Saunders Architecture from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

The family sat on two dozen different sofas trying to find the right mix of comfort and sleekness before deciding custom was the way to go. A deep-cushioned, slim-backed piece—built by Luke Parsons Millwork—fits just right and somehow makes the whole space just seem bigger. It also features pull-out footstools, a coffee table and concealed storage for blankets. Custom upholstery is by The Big Stuff.

Laid out in a 270-degree panorama in front of the house is the frosty expanse of Cook Inlet, cascading rocky mountains, and a white sun as big as a dinner plate.

“It was a natural choice,” says Adrian of using reclaimed and rescued wood. “I didn’t want to chop down a whole lot of trees.” The walls and ceiling are lined with planks of butternut harvested from diseased trees in Vermont.

Livable sculpture at its finest. Created for the Zermatt Festival, an annual festival of chamber music, this structure (designed by a team of second-year architecture students!) maximizes the beauty of its surroundings with its 720-degree spiral composition. Valais, Switzerland. By Alice Studio/Atelier de la Conception de l’ Espace from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

Corrugated steel wraps the South Island home of musicians Justine Cormack and Marc Taddei. The wedge-shaped design, by Nebraska architect Jeffrey Day, was originally intended for Day’s mother, who lives in Maine.

Tools consists of hand-crafted woodworking tools (saw, plane, knives, axe) and a wooden toolbox that is made up of the tools that it stores. Jakob Jørgensen was inspired by a Viking-age Mästermyr tool chest he found at Gotland and for the Mindcraft 14 exhibition in Milan, he learned to embrace the tradition of a craftsman who makes all his own tools.

Another minimalist clothing rack by Jakob Jørgensen, a frequent collaborator with Line Depping, comprises a simple wedge assembly that attaches a horizontal element to a vertical load-bearing element.

LLaumett refers to the extended patio as its own entity—a calm place to sunbathe or stare out to the ocean at any time of day. It is made of pine and covered in an opaque Osmo glaze. The chairs were constructed by the owners.

In addition to her beloved midcentury style, Young developed an appreciation for Scandinavian design while abroad in Europe in her twenties, evident in the pared-down bedroom.

Kelsey: Impossible Geometry Rather, Géométrie de L’impossible, a project by artist Fanette Guilloud in which she paints optical illusions in abandoned spaces. To catch the image, one must stand at just the precise in order to get the perspective.

"The Herd" as they are often referred to, sit out in the open in breathtaking scenery. Tanner Construction collaborated with Tom Kundig on the project for the same client who commissioned Delta Shelter. As the story goes, the rolling huts were zoned for an RV park so Kundig put them on steel wheels to swerve around the local building code. Photo by Tim Bies.

The Cliff House at Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California The most epic getaway on this list, Post Ranch Inn’s Cliff House (designed by famed local architect Mickey Muennig) overlooks the Pacific and offers 960-square-feet of glass and wood surroundings. The room comes together with purposeful angles, mirroring the ocean-side cliffs below.

Set into the dense tropical foliage of Hawaii’s wildest coast is a house that goes with the flow by welcoming the breeze.