A couple enlist Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design to reimagine their home as a multigenerational meeting point. In 1963, landscape designer Lawrence Halprin devised a master plan for a community that would live in harmony with the natural environment. The resulting Sea Ranch, which stretches 10 miles along the Pacific coastline in Sonoma County, California, is characterized by timber-frame, wood-clad structures that are in dialogue with the local climate and terrain. Sited on a bluff within this pioneering community is the vacation home of a lawyer couple. After purchasing the residence in 2007, they lived in the home as it was for four years, even keeping the previous owners’ furniture. Envisioning a retreat that would accommodate their extended family and guests, they then recruited Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design to help guide the project.

2013: Sou Fujimoto Called a “cloud of steel,” Fujimoto’s gorgeous grid, assembled from 28 kilometers of white poles, is almost translucent. The barely visible roof, built from clear polycarbonate discs, ruffled in the breeze. Photograph © 2013 Jim Stephenson

Nao Tamura blown glass installation for Wonderglass, shown in the "Landscapes" exhibition at Maison&Objet.

Unikko coated cotton fabric $59 Unikko (poppy) was born in 1964 shortly after Armi Ratia had announced that Marimekko would never print a floral pattern. Maija paid no heed to Armi’s decree and designed an entire collection of floral patterns in protest. One of them was Unikko, a true icon of the future.

Puketti coated cotton fabric $40 The Puketti (bouquet) pattern from 1965 is a true Marimekko icon. Its minimalistic design language reflects functinalism, a key principle in Annika Rimala’s work.

Kuuskajaskari linen fabric$66.45 Brilliant panoramas. Bring the splendor of rainfalls and sun rays to the home all year long. This stunning fabric complements Marimekko's new, exquisite Weather Diary collection inspired by the beautiful autumnal nature of Finland.

Attika cotton fabric$48.69 Consisting of large colour blocks, the Attika print from 1959 is one of the bold graphic prints of Maija Isola.

Kuuskajaskari linen fabric $66.45 Brilliant panoramas. Bring the splendor of rainfalls and sun rays to the home all year long. This stunning fabric complements Marimekko's new, exquisite Weather Diary collection inspired by the beautiful autumnal nature of Finland.

Twisti cotton fabric $136.21 Named after a popular schoolyard game, Twisti (twist) takes us back to childhood summers.

Pähkinäpuu cotton fabric $35.94 The Pähkinäpuu print from 1974 exemplifies Katsuji Wakisaka’s close relationship to Japanese design tradition.

Taapeli cotton fabric $100.27 The quilt-like Taapeli (pile of boards) pattern takes us through the forest and all the way to a saw mill. There logs are being sawn into boards and placed in piles, or “taapeli” in Finnish, to dry.

The sunken living room is just one of many grade changes inside the structure. “We were adamant that we didn’t want something domestic,” says Andrew. “We wanted something surprising, that was hyper-animated, and that, when you moved through it, changed all the time.” The sofa, designed by the couple and Levenbetts, is upholstered in cotton velvet. The Habibi side tables are by Philipp Mainzer for e15, the fireplace tools by Fort Standard, and the doors by Fleetwood.

The 260-square-foot Hytte module features tall ceilings of up to nearly 12 feet. Multiple windows fill the interior with natural light and frame views of the outdoors.

Stepstone's narrow concrete pavers add a graphic touch to the garden.

When designer Hilton Carter furnished the industrial-style Baltimore apartment and work studio he shares with his wife Fiona, their dog Charlie and two cats Zoe and Isabella, he created a wondrous indoor woodland that offers all the benefits of being outdoors without leaving home.

The colors used in the interior were inspired by the surrounding landscape. The kitchen island is clad in solid timber fluting crafted from durable plantation-grown iroko with with a granite top. “The green-blue-brown color of the granite benchtops very much reminded me of the colors of the water in the nearby harbor of Tutakaka,” says architect Belinda George.

A custom sofa was installed on the far side of the bathroom for even more space to relax.

The addition’s two stories of cedar-framed sliding doors and window provide generous views of the house’s prized jacaranda tree. The addition’s polished concrete floor and white cladding extend into the garden, drawing occupants to the serene rear porch. There, they can relax on stools designed by Alvar Aalto and Charles Wilson while admiring the luscious greenery.

"A well-performing house extension facing south on a small inner-city block built in rammed earth is not easy to achieve," said Welsch. "However, in this challenge was our opportunity: We decided that our extension will curl around to capture the sun, creating a communal courtyard and allowing the occupants to look at their own house rather than a paling fence."

Double doors connect the outside to a main living space in this “garden cottage” ADU.