Architectural designer Sebastian Mariscal and project manager Jeff Svitak created a house in Venice, California, for Michael and Tamami Sylvester. Known as Dwell Home Venice for its role as an exemplification of modern architecture, the house is an homage to indoor-outdoor living. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

A guest bedroom, with furniture from Room & Board, overlooks the bridge above the dining courtyard. The home’s landscape architecture is by Ventura, California–based Jack Kiesel. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

The living and dining room look out to the central courtyard, promoting indoor/outdoor living. Here, five doors slide into a pocket in the wall to create a nearly 23-foot-wide opening on one side looking into the garden. Another set on the opposite side enhances cross ventilation.

Requirements for licensed contractors depend on the scope of work and the location of the project.

In an effort to create an abundance of light and air flow throughout the space, the home follows an L-shaped floor plan that wraps around outdoor areas. “We designed several open spaces, each with a different feel: the garden and pool, the terrace, and the back patio,” says Cesarman. “The idea was to reduce the area to the most basic and essential [elements].”

“The home is quite small, but designed in such a way that you don’t feel it,” Herrin says. Lift-slide openings by Quantum Windows & Doors, which were fabricated fewer than 50 miles from the house, make the main living space seem larger.

Michael and Tamami brought greenery to the master bath courtyard, which is lined with Eco Arbor Designs deck tiles, in the form of succulents in a ceramic Peanut planter by John Follis for Architectural Pottery from Vessel. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

The knotty cedar cladding from Crenshaw Lumber was pretreated with an ebony stain from Timber Pro UV—twice on both sides—prior to being brought to the site, where it was left for eight weeks so that it could adjust to the moist seaside air before installation. “Cedar siding swells or shrinks when it gains or loses moisture while it reaches equilibrium with the content of the surrounding air,” says Michael. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

The house rises to nearly the height of the neighboring structure. The plantings on the bridge, which connects the guest pavilion with the master bedroom and media room pavilion, will eventually grow in to create a privacy screen. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

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.

The homes were designed to maximize the indoor/outdoor experience. “On long weekends, we sit in the garden, invite friends, and make a barbecue. It’s like we’ve gone on holiday without leaving home,” says resident Luca Pagnan.

Orpilla pecks, Apolo pedals.

Once through the street-level entrance, the property's modern garage door comes into view. Stairs lead up to the kitchen.

With library's Cor-Ten shield open, the home’s facade is seen at night. The L shaped pedestrian pathway forces visitors to travel around the perimeter before entry, gradually experiencing the architectural composition step by step.

“It’s never static or solid here—with thelight, there’s always some sort of movement.”—Austin Lowrey, resident

Designed by Hawkins, the Perch by Canary 3 offers additional outdoor seating. The 22-foot-long triple slider facilitates indoor/outdoor access.

The sauna is a decidedly Scandinavian touch.

“By shifting the 60-degree equilateral grid of the home 18 degrees, it blurred the edges of the lot line so that the user isn’t sure where the property starts or ends,” Marble said. The hexagonal shape also makes the most of passing breezes, changing sunlight, and bird’s eye views.

In the outdoor dining room, wire chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll surround a mango wood table made by a local carpenter, Diego Madrazo.

A dramatic departure from your typical cabin on the lake, this unique retreat adds shades of black to a tiny island awash with local color. A modern brick outdoor fireplace, tall and slim, is flanked by Philippe Starck’s outdoor chairs for Kartell for cozy fireside seating.

A 22-foot-long door allows easy access to the backyard. "We paired the lift and slide door with a retractable screen for insects and a retractable canopy above, to shade the deck and control heat gain into the house," Horowitz says.

On the rooftop deck is an outdoor fireplace clad in cement board panels, plus a custom wych elm table by Arnold d’Epagnier and Charles Outdoor sofas by B&B Italia.

"When I was furnishing the place, I made sure it’d also be a good place for art," Judin tells FvF. "After that, I considered my other passions: cooking, for example. My kitchen is the heart and center of the house."

The home’s living room can be kept open to the elements, or sectioned off with sliding glass walls. A natural concrete slab acts as an exterior barrier, and freijó wood and track lighting define the interior space. C10 sofa by Marcus Ferreira and vintage Poltrona Molé chair by Sergio Rodrigues provide casual seating. Across the partition wall, a Jader Almeida table anchors the dining room.

Melanie and David spend a lot of time outside, so indoor/outdoor accessibility was key.

Leo Marmol and Alisa Becket enjoy one of their home’s many outdoor spaces.

Clad in Western red cedar siding and punctuated with floor-to-ceiling windows, this minimalist two-bedroom home boasts sunrise views over the Sonoma hills.

The outdoor shower situated off of the master bedroom is enclosed to offer privacy and features a courtyard garden. Michael Arp of Lanoha Nurseries designed the house's landscaping.

An outdoor shower tucked behind a screen off the master bedroom neutralizes this threat. “We thought it sounded great for muddy kids to run up and shower off there,” Coco says.

Architect Janna Levitt devised a creative emellishment for a residence in Canada. Photo by: Philip Cheung

The house comprises a series of modules, with the main living areas occupying the center and the master bedroom on the right. A large deck juts off the living room.

Boxy Rebellion “I like simple shapes, and for a house,” says Winterhalder, “a box is very good.” The two downstairs bathrooms are located in freestanding larch-covered cubes; the kitchen island is resoundingly rectilinear; and a square-shaped area in the guest bedroom serves as a home office, where Winterhalder designs UV-blocking children’s beach wear for her label, Beach Heroes. Measure Twice When determining the height of the concrete blocks that form the outer wall of the kitchen island, the couple took a hands-on approach. “We measured our coffeemaker and a bottle of oil, and that’s how much higher we made the concrete blocks than the counter,”Winterhalder says. The blocks themselves were made to measure by a concrete supplier.

An enormous bi-fold door from Sun Paradise peels back to open the upgraded kitchen-dining area to a new raised terrace. The home's exterior is wrapped in an insulated render system.

An L-shaped deck wraps around the house's ground level, creating a place for entertaining and taking in the scenery.

“Natural light was not great in this house,” Ong says. “So it was important that we came up with a concept that allowed natural light to flow through the new extension and also to the existing front part of the house.”

“The new living area is now nestled between the rear garden and the new courtyard,” Ong says. “We felt this approach not only respected [the clients’] interests and lifestyle, but we hope it will enhance it.” Aluminum-framed windows and doors by Capral allow the owners to bring the outside in.