A vintage stool, a design that once was a staple of Greek classrooms, is tucked under the office desk on a landing leading to a balcony. The visual theme of the vertical wooden slats repeats itself here, including on a closet door. “They have no handles,” Ritenour says of the closet doors. “The lines are the door handles; you have to know to grab them.”

In the master bath, sandblasted windows let in light while retaining privacy. The tub is from Dado, the vanity and stool are from Ligne Roset, and the Big Bang light is from Foscarini.

A view from the upper stair landing toward the master bedroom. A bronze track in the walnut flooring provides a guide for a sliding wall which can be seen nested in its pocket on the left. This wall was a feat of engineering on our general contractor's part. Built on site in three panels as it was too large for nyc transport if fabricated off site. Light from a concealed skylight with operable opaque louver to provide a blackout shade can be seen broadcasting along the back wall of the bedroom. A custom steel window can be seen on the right.

Vassiliou and Angeliki tuck into watermelon slices on a patio off the master bedroom. The terrace offers views of Mount Lycabettus, whose peak towers 745 feet above Athens, and the city itself, which splays out toward the mountains in the distance.

A wall of custom cabinets made with Paldao wood veneer defines the kitchen. "We wanted them to be as clean and minimal as possible but to have a warm texture," Slade says. "The aluminum countertop, resin upper cabinets, and satin mirror glass backsplash are designed to reflect light."

"Many of the decisions were about maximizing luminosity within the apartment," principal James Slade says. The open-plan kitchen and dining room features a custom walnut picnic-style table.

The exterior is clad in Siberian larch, which doesn’t require paint and will develop a gray patina.

The ground floor has a visitor’s bedroom for when Velma has friends over to stay.

Ritenour carved a window into an L-shaped wall to open the cramped master bedroom to a small, light-filled atrium (below). An unsightly structural beam was covered with wood to create a distinctive sunken bed.

In the Tribeca penthouse of a young bachelor, Reddymade Design kept most of the space intact, focusing on adding bright and appealing furniture and materials. Tropicalia chairs from Moroso surround an El Dom table from Cassina. The pendant is from Petite Friture.

The kitchen is outfitted with a built-in refrigerator by Norcool and an AEG cooktop and oven.

Salminen built the bunk beds out of birch, Finland’s most plentiful tree species, for the couple’s children.

Pork Chop, the dog, has plenty of comfortable places to nap between meals.

The fireplace that Lake|Flato designed for the deck is the compound’s focal point. “People can go tuck their small kids into bed and then creep back to the fire pit area and be gregarious late into the night,” Wallace says.

An interior window creates flow between the skylit landing and baby Banks’s room.

The 1,292-square-foot split-level apartment occupies the top two floors of a building in central Athens that was completed in 1995. The apartment’s configuration allows for four balconies and panoramic views of the city and its tallest natural feature, Mount Lycabettus.

Edmonton architect Vivian Manasc’s 19th-story rooftop penthouse is sustainable and colorful, offering the perfect solution to downtown living. Photo by Garth Crump.

Since the building's facade is landmarked, the existing fence could not be altered. The architects responded by dressing up the perimeter with garden and design elements. Benches punctuate steel planters, creating a sitting area along the terrace walkway.

Architect Gregory Phillips connected the original house to a new modern extension that doesn’t interfere with the surrounding houses. “I try to be true to the location,”he explains, “so it doesn’t seem like some spaceship has landed.”

Angeliki’s toys share space in the living room with an ETR coffee table and Molded Plastic Rocker chair, both by Charles and Ray Eames and purchased from Vitra. Behind the couch, 300 vertical oak strips add a decorative element.

A collection of vintage furniture, including a rattan armchair and a drafting table, is gathered around the terrace fireplace, which shares a volume with the hearth in the adjacent living room behind. Outdoor sconces are from iGuzzini.

A brilliant green granite and glass creation that had an abrupt debut, considering its location in the city’s St. Stephens Square, the Hass House actually had a historic pedigree (the outside mirrors the corner of an old Roman fortification). While Hollein was initially criticized—"I get anonymous letters saying I should jump off the top of the Haas Haus," he said in an interview—the building has since been recognized for introducing a modern aesthetic to Vienna's downtown.

The master bedroom has sliding doors that connect directly to the backyard.

The pitched facade has a sculptural play of spruce siding and triple-glazed windows that reflect the surrounding treetops.

An outdoor hangout sits beneath an arbor-like overhang. A waterfall wall partitions a neighbor's terrace, and adds ambient noise.

Reddy swapped out the spiral iron staircase for a modern wood one protected by glass walls.

Custom hammered-copper tiles add texture and reflect light in the master bedroom. The bed, steel-and-walnut side tables, and brass lamps are all custom-made by Cécile & Boyd’s.

For those who can never get enough of a breathtaking view, the penthouse of the Setai in Miami Beach has it all. With floor-to-ceiling windows that create a graphic visual effect, this modern bathroom shows off sprawling ocean views.

Mojo Stumer Associates Architects and landscape architects Town & Gardens partnered to rejuventate an overlooked outdoor area at a Manhattan penthouse. Their objective was to elevate the terrace to match the inviting, modern interiors.

In the master bedroom, a woven Loom chair by Matteograssi is paired with a wood-and-marble side table from Cécile & Boyd’s. Sliding glass doors lead to the screened outdoor veranda with a custom bronze table and Neutra Batyline chairs from Marlanteak. “The outside-inside flow was important to us, as the apartment is all about views and using the veranda spaces,” says designer Geordi De Sousa Costa.

At night, glowing planters illuminate the outdoor space, guiding guests along the walkway.

Conveniently located outside the entrance, a glass table, surrounded by Eames Molded Fiberglass chairs, provides the perfect place for alfresco dining during warmer months.

If you have the keys to this cool Leblon penthouse, you'll enjoy spectacular views of Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer statue from the swimming pool. The airy four-bedroom home was designed by Luiz Eduardo Indio da Costa, a pioneering Brazilian architect who, in 2006, became the first-ever recipient of the Niemeyer Commendation Award from the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil. With retractable walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a palm tree-fringed wraparound deck encircling the property, this is indoor-outdoor living, modern Brazilian-style.

Iason Vassiliou, Maria Voutsina, and their daughter, Angeliki, relax in a landing-level office at their apartment in Athens, Greece.

An ample sill made of English elm was built into two front windows to create a gathering spot that is visually connected to the street. Donna Wilson’s lively Ernest pouf in coral Nos Da upholstery for SCP adds extra seating in the living room.

The penthouse level, with its cantilevered overhang, opens to a rooftop entertaining space. The ipe wood cladding, blue stone pavers, and a custom roof ladder are joined by restored brick chimneys.