Blu Homes's new prefab in Joshua Tree, California.

Cooper and her husband went in for a saltwater pool, a welcome cooling-off hangout for hot Healdsburg days - though not the only one. The entire home is naturally cool, owing to its Breezeway design concept that connects different modules (in Cooper's case, three units) via a cross-ventilating walkway space. It's wide enough to house a large dining table, with room to spare. Though the pool was an extra, Morter notes that a cost-saving benefit of Blu Homes is that all of the custom design work - from finishes to faucets - is free of charge.

The kitchen features a Walker Zanger backsplash and Caesarstone counters. The plumbing is Kohler. Beyond is a walkway with storage cubbies that leads to a bathroom and guest room/office on the left, with the main entrance beyond.

Another shot of the pool and outdoor entertaining space. The pool is made with Pebble Tec, a stone aggregate that outlasts traditional pool materials like cement and fiberglass.

One of many thoughtful modern design touches we like is the clear screen over the front entrance.

The deck is shaded by an awning made of reclaimed factory catwalk. The deck itself is sustainable ipe wood that is heat, rot, and pest resistant. When planning the outdoor areas, Cooper wanted to preserve the native olive, live oak, and strawberry trees. "We didn't move many trees," she says. Morter smiles when describing the workaround solution. "We had to lift this [the prefab units] all in with a giant 350 ton crane, right over the trees," he says.

The second bedroom. Cooper and her family find themselves spending more and more time at the home, which was completed in April. In spite of its luxurious feel, the home's design carries cost-saving benefits. "There's no need for earthquake insurance," says Morter - a very nice feature in an earthquake-prone region. "These homes are engineered for snowstorms, windstorms, and earthquakes."

Every Blu Home ("There are nine in the Bay Area," says Morter) comes with the choice of a suite of high-end finishes and appliances; for the Coopers' home, Kitchenaid is used. Sub Zero, Whirlpool, and Wolff appliances are also available.

Another view of the kitchen.

A view of the xeriscaped backyard.

The living room and Breezeway. "It's designed to conduct breezes, and the clerestory windows have a convection effect," says Morter. "We entertain a lot, and the kids love this space," says Cooper. "And the light has a really nice quality. We haven't put up curtains and I don't think we will, it's so private out here."

The bathroom features a "bathing cabinet" that is ever-so-slightly graded for drainage. "I was skeptical," says Cooper, "but it really works well." The railing was installed for safety.

Blu Homes cofounder Bill Haney considers his company’s mission to be twofold: “Prefab 2.0 means using technology to serve customers more efficiently and provide the highest possible customer service.”

In the kitchen, designer Maca Huneeus prepares lunch with her daughters Ema, 12, and Ofelia, 7. The pendants are Jonathan Adler; the island is a custom design, inspired by a 1960s Dansk tray that belonged to Huneeus’s mother. The barstools are from Blu Dot.

California-based manufacturer of premium prefab homes, Blu Homes held a virtual reality demonstration. The company is using Oculus Rift technology to let customers see their future homes in full detail before construction.

One of our favorite features was the wall of storage cubbies leading from the main entrance to the kitchen. Cooper loves the cheerful dose of orange. The cubby doors neatly slide shut for a streamlined look.

Video Doorbell This goes one step further than the door opener, and allows you to see who is at your door through a video camera that is attached to the door bell. This is a great way to add security to your home, as you only have to let in people that you trust. But there is also the added bonus of a remote control that you can use to unlock the door without ever having to leave your seat. Photo via Digital Trends.

The home’s original living and dining rooms were updated with custom cabinetry and new fir floors. The living room sofa, coffee table, and lounge chair are from Blu Dot.

In a home largely outfitted in wood, this marbled bathroom designed by Peter Russell-Clarke and Craig Steely provides a respite for the eyes, with its white, gray, and black palette and minimalist fixtures and details. Dramatic veining in the stone provides visual interest and movement, and the freestanding bathtub contrasts with the dark marble on the wall behind.

A layout of the home and grounds. The home's three modules house a library, guest room with office ("Our daughter often stays here," Cooper says), master bedroom, second bedroom, kitchen, living and dining Breezeway space, and the storage wall.

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.

Floorplan for the 2,900 square foot Breezehouse by Blu Homes debuting this fall. The prefab homes are fabricated in the company's California warehouse and assembled onsite.

Arne Jacobsen's AJ Wall Lamps are in the master bedroom, which is furnished with a Case Study bed and a Series 11 6 Drawer Console by Blu Dot.

Having lived, he says, in “a number of houses where the living room is the most adorned and the least used,” it was important for Lazor to create a functional family living space. As the gathering above attests, it worked. The carpet is by InterfaceFLOR, and the armchairs by Blu Dot.

Escape made a splash by launching a property in Tampa Bay filled with its trailers. But you don’t have to live there to own one.

“I love the house more each day,” says Tamami Sylvester of her and husband Michael's home by Sebastian Mariscal in Venice, California. The kitchen, which includes all Miele appliances, is sheathed in custom woodwork from Semihandmade. Accessories from A+R complement the Caesarstone countertops and Franke faucet. A LifeSource Water System provides filtration. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

Six-inch-square blue tiles cover the walls and floor of the girls’ upstairs bathroom. The towels and rug are also by H&M Home.

"How would a kid draw a house?" architect Per Franson asked himself when designing the Olivero-Reinius family home. The simple prefab structure’s unusual color comes from a traditional source: falu rödfärg, the historic mineral paint that gives the region’s famous barns their red color.

Architect Gustavo Costa calls the home library the “project’s heart.” This central space houses the owner’s expansive collection of about 5,000 books, and acts as a meeting place for friends and colleagues. A Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Red and Blue chair completes the space.

5. "What are the top 10 most important things I must have in a home?" "If there are two people buying the home, write your answers down separately, starting with your absolute must-haves," Hoffman explains. “Putting together a list separately can give both parties and the realtor a clear picture of what the perfect home will have for both of you."

An outdoor shower was the family’s first construction project. “Doing the shower made us realize we can build things the way we want to build them,” says Meg.

“We sought to create a house that would not damage the environment and not be too visible,” says architect Tina Gregorič. A single zigzagging roof stretches over 5,380 square feet, doubling the area of the interior spaces and serving as an ideal spot for sunset cocktails and whale-watching.

He worked around existing oak and eucalyptus trees for the new building, and retained the vernacular of an original barn, at right, where Frankel hosts concerts. Check out MVRDV's Balancing Barn.

The courtyard is just one of many open spaces that will be highly utilized—in the non-winter months anyway. Concrete worked well with developing the language of FlatPak. The second level is a wood panel that can be clad in corrugated metal or cedar—different layers that can be plugged in like covers on your cellphone.

The kitchen is situated in a sunken basement, underneath the staircase’s walnuts steps. The same joiner who built the house’s timber elements built the white cabinetry which are finished in a 40% gloss lacquer. Silestone countertops and integrated appliances maintain the space’s simple lines. Additional storage is fitted under the staircase.