A path leads past glazing and gravel to the front door.

The landscaping appears to be based on the mullet principle: business in the front, as seen here (manicured grid lawn, with native vegetation sprouting in careful symmetry), party in the back (sunflowers and wild mountain grass growing in harmonious chaos).

CAUCASO

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

A verdant tundra that the architect dubbed the “courtyard” separates Bullitt’s house from his 900-square-foot studio. The space, which is planted with Bog Myrtle, bearberry, and other native plants, “reinforces...the dominance of the landscape over the building,” the architect says. “The end result was an exceedingly naturalized setting.”

“We had these incredible live oak trees, and so we built the house around the trees and the view,” says Raike.

A small terrace outfitted with an H55 easy chair by Björn Hultén offers a view of the San Francisco Bay.

The ever-changing, lush wooded surroundings of Minnesota, such as those experienced at this 8,000-square-foot Type Variant House outside of Minneapolis designed by Coen and Partners, are right near the small town of New Richland.

"Sliding and swinging panels enable spaces to expand and contract as needed for the owners, a few guests, or large gathering," say the architects. "At the entry courtyard, a rolling screen and swinging gate can be configured to be cozy and private, or wide open and welcoming."

A modern mix of unpretentious, yet luxurious design elements resulted in an awe-inspiring, sophisticated and lighthearted living space with a seamless transition between indoors and out. The extraordinary high ceilings and volume contributes to its welcome feeling.

“Two by three purlins sit on top of (and run perpendicular to) the rafters to achieve an eave on each gable end—and they also provide ventilation space,” Wilson says. “This is common in simple barn construction, but also typical of Japanese wood temples.”

Eames chairs surround the live-edge dining table on a terrace.

“We wanted to build on the idea of a borrowed view. Because of the layered foliage, everything feels like it’s on our property, but it’s not,” Mark says.

Rosewood garden gate. Unsealed , the rosewood with grey naturally over time.

The landscape design, by Anna Boeschenstein of Grounded, followed a 2,200-square-foot extension by Formwork architects Robert and Cecilia H. Nichols. The front door is painted in Chinese Red by Sherwin-Williams.

Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

Eschewing the typical white barn vernacular commonly found throughout Napa Valley, Fernandez turned to the rustic architectural traditions of western mining communities for inspiration.

Achieving such efficiency and maintaining the integrity of the wetlands and woodlands on the property meant more research for both the designers and the resident—just getting approval for the siting of the buildings and the driveway took eight months—but Hague is hardly one to do things half way. “A lot of times couples engage in house-building, like birds. I'm doing this solo, more like a monk,” he says of the deeply personal undertaking.

Sited parallel to each other, the two autonomous bedroom cabins frame perspectival views of the surrounding landscape. Exteriors of all three structures feature mitered corners and cross-laminated timber panels, all nailed by hand.

The backyard’s emphasis on nature is mirrored in the front of the home, which also underwent extensive landscaping by Considered Design. The owners and Parish wanted to “tone everything down” and turn the home into a backdrop for a natural setting.

To combat the site’s steep, uneven grade, Boeschenstein staggered a series of ipe decks around the two main volumes of the house. Atticus joins his brother, Bodhi, on the zigzag decks.

With ample seating and an illuminated landscape, the backyard can facilitate easy entertaining.

“It was very important to get the integration between the garden and the house right,” Maynard says. The architects worked with Bush Projects to strike that balance, laying down concrete pavers and planting native flora that add to the home’s relaxed feel. Permanent steel awnings protect windows from glare, while retractable fabric ones by Shadefactor offer residents optional shelter when they sit outside.

L'Horizon is a desert-chic, luxury, no-kids-allowed getaway that feels like a private club. The top-notch design helped earn the property it's a spot as a recent member of Leading Hotels of the World.

Glass Houses Though the original plans called for a frameless wall of glass in the back, it turned out that it would eat up most of the budget. Instead, they installed three wood-framed windows made by Fecon. fecon.de Cut and Plant For the landscaping, the couple literally took a page out of somebody else’s book. Winterhalder says their garden was lifted from page 38 of Peter Janke’s Kleine Gärten (Small Gardens), published by Becker Joest Volk Verlag. bjvv.de

Crushed stone paths and native plantings, including cacti, wildflowers, and grasses, encompass the surrounding landscape. “We’re nothing but natural,” says Austin. “The cacti, to me, are like pieces of sculpture, each with their own personality. I even named some.”

Shope and his wife carefully designed an eco-friendly landscape: For instance, they did not fell any tree with holes that could support an owl’s nest. They also planted flower species that feed hummingbirds and monarch butterflies. Shope laid out the pathway of reclaimed granite slabs that leads toward the Hudson River below.

Sculpture courtyard and lighted pathway