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

Hynam built additional storage along one angled wall of the bedroom loft and beneath the skylight.

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.

One of the three pavilions is an open, single-story space that combined the home's kitchen and great room. The Bigelows specifically liked the idea of a great room because it affords a flexible plan and airy atmosphere for entertaining. The Flexform furniture can become an in-the-round seating arrangement for impromptu piano sessions.

Kitchen/Dining Room: Perhaps when setting the holiday table you noticed your cutlery has lost it's luster. Upgrade your fine flatware with the Piano set by Renzo Piano for Iittala.

This garage space uses iconic checkerboard floor tiles to contrast the rustic barn door that provides entry to the rest of The Barn.

Another view of the garage reveals its extensive space to house vehicles and protect them from the elements.

Renzo Piano's Diogene cabin on the Vitra campus in Switzerland, as published in Cabins (Taschen, 2014).

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.

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

While the windows are larger than what one would find in a traditional Cape Cod structure, they were essential in establishing a connection with the forest.

Photo: David L. Ryan/Boston Globe

Renzo Piano (born 1937)

Life Along the Elevated, by Megan Canning, Krisanne Johnson, and Whitney Johnson, $25 from designtrust.org Published by the non-profit organization the Design Trust for Public Space, the book is the product of a photojournalism fellowship documenting life in New York City near its nearly 700 miles of elevated infrastructure, which includes bridges, highways, subway tracks, and rail lines. This title offers a glimpse the cityscape that is misunderstood, something the urbanism enthusiast or landscape designer on your list would appreciate. (Plus proceeds benefit a good cause.) “The reality is the elevated looks beautiful from afar, especially at sunset, but after spending a great deal of time photographing along it, you quickly notice the intense noise pollution, the poor lighting, and the chaotic nature of a transit hub. And these conditions are exactly what the Under the Elevated project is trying to improve,” noted photographer Krisanne Johnson.

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.

While the original home was dark, like other homes of its period, the addition allowed Andrews and his team to let in an abundance of natural light.

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.

Two pieces from E15’s Shiraz sofa flank the company’s wooden Leila side tables. Hill chose to use flat paint in Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White throughout the home because it emphasizes the chalkiness of the plaster walls, making them “look almost like slate.” The sconce shown in the foreground—David Chipperfield’s Corrubedo design for FontanaArte—gives off a soft glow and replaces the dozens of paper-lampshade wall fixtures the owners found in the house when they bought it. Stewart Cohen’s zany photograph of a gun-toting Marfa resident encapsulates Barbara Hill’s offbeat brand of decorating: bright and minimal, yet darkly humorous.