Mint green-painted ironwork and tiles connect the indoors to the outside more fluidly.

The Leaf House is a lightweight, mobile trailer that was carefully engineered to weigh less than 5,000 pounds. The designer, Laird Herbert, used a metal-mesh, open-joint rainscreen as the cladding on the front end, and spruce pine at the back.

"I like the more boxy, modern look," Herbert says, "and I think it fits the small space better. You have more space in a box. As soon as you put a peak on a roof, you lose a lot of that usable space."

A super-insulated envelope and a heat-recovery ventilator help keep the Leaf House comfortably warm, even in the brutally cold Canadian winters.

The structure is super-insulated, making use of quad-paned windows and vacuum-insulated panels.

The Max-A studio is also built with a pine frame, though it has pine panelling on the ceiling, while the main house ceiling is painted a warm white.

Wood decking extends out to the yard.

Amending Meeuwissen’s early request for an open bathroom space, the architects devised a more private chamber with an overhead skylight and walls in stone tile from Intercodam Tegels.

After - living room (Rubio monocoat floors, Chantilly lace walls, used fireplace)

99 by Von Tundra and Lydia Cambron $13,000 Oregon-based Von Tundra’s unit combines three different storage options—a rack, drawers, and boxes—into a multipurpose dresser.

Herbert used laminate bamboo flooring inside the Leaf House. An inexpensive light fixture, which Herbert found in a thrift shop, hangs from the birch-plywood ceiling.

The shower, as seen through the main entrance. The metal-mesh open-joint rain screen is designed to rust over time.

A custom Murphy bed occupies the rear end of the trailer, next to a wall of cedar shingles. The wall at left, which Herbert painted white, is tongue-and-groove pine.

Herbert fashioned the custom kitchen countertop from a foam-core backer board, which he coated with a concrete microtopping. The wood is clear-grain cedar.

The Armadillo is parked on a 1,000-square-foot lot that gives the couple ample outdoor space.

For most, city living means getting anything to your apartment over ten pounds is an annoyance at most and impossible at best. But, a charming Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree at your doorstep is a breeze. $250.

This outdoor chair from designer Damian Velasquez is both striking and strikingly comfortable—you might not believe you're sitting on metal. The mesh design is sturdy, but has just enough give to conform to your body. The heat-dispersing, wind-resistant powder-coated stainless steel construction makes it a smart addition to your yard.

O Table by Half 13 $2,800 This curvy powder-coated stainless steel outdoor table, fabricated by Damian Velasquez in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is available in nine vibrant colors.

Wooden decks can be added to heighten the indoor-outdoor living experience.

Landscape architect Kevin Campion went to great lengths to protect the poplar trees during construction. Delta Millworks charred the cedar gable fronts following the shou sugi ban technique.

Giovanna de Uzin Fontecha relaxes in the master bedroom on a Leaf chaise by Claesson-Koivisto-Rune for Living Divani.

A Rafa Kids swing hangs below the loft bed near the large desk designed for playing with Legos.

Shumaker Design + Build Associates honed in on natural light, rich tones, and earthy materials to update this Chicago kitchen. The renovated kitchen now boasts a ten-foot-long banquette paired with a West Elm table, offering seating for everything from quick breakfasts to grand dinners.

Light pine finishes make the interiors feel airy and spacious.

An opaque sliding glass door separates the bathroom from the dining area. White tile with pink-colored grout ties the two spaces together.

A pool cage with a retractable awing makes the pool deck feel like a natural extension of the home's interior, while the terraced construction lifts the building up above the level of floods and storm surges.

The Heddle Suite is "the look is one of New England design turned on its head

With the help of architects X+L Studio, Nynke Meeuwissen and Mark Aink rehabilitated an old school outside of Amsterdam into a comfortable roost for their family of five. The former gym—with original herringbone parquet floors—is now the living room, furnished with Minotti sofas, a Danskina rug, and a Gyrofocus wood-burning stove.