Black and white kitchen cabinets painted with a triangular pattern add a whimsical touch to this funky kitchen.

Balangan Vistas Resort Hotel

The concrete wall mimics the slope of the hill outside as a reference to early Maori structures that were dug into the land. The simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The ceramic works on the built-in seat at right are by Raewyn Atkinson and Robyn Lewis.

Because the house is narrow and long (16 by 68 feet), the design team decided to create a huge open-air space to light the interior naturally. Two retractable motor-driven canvas canopies shelter the space during Singapore’s frequent rains.

Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, author Chris Brown and his dog Katsu head to the river; the path was once a dumping ground on top of a long-defunct underground oil pipeline. The green roof was conceptualized by John Hart Asher of the Ecosystem Design Group at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

Although the furniture’s orientation may set your sense of direction spinning, the beds and chairs are stowed underneath the floorboards.

One of the original Propeller Island rooms, the Mirror Room is designed to make you feel as though you are inside a kaleidoscope. The room comes with an unusual tagline, “Warning: very sexy.”

With an in-room bathroom constructed out of old windows, occupants are meant to feel like they are in a writer’s enclave. The century-old skylight and walls are remnants from the pension hotel.

The idea behind Endémico is "luxury camping." Set on 40 acres of gorgeous, unspoiled terrain, there are 20 bungalows and a shared pool for guests to take a dip in. The Encuentro Guadalupe winery offers guests access to local wines as well as a peek at how they are processed through winemaking courses. Encuentro's restaurant will feature dishes that incorporate local flavors as well as a cooking school where people can learn how to prepare creative meals with the guidance of talented young chefs.

Although you can’t be over six feet tall to stay in this room, it is the most traditionally appealing. The bed and desk are built on top of a rustic “table,” but otherwise everything is right side up and won’t trigger a panic attack. For more information about the hotel, visit propeller-island.de.

Built out of the original rafters of the hotel, Larchenson modeled this room after a barn. Lounge on potato sacks filled with foam rubber and climb up the hidden ladder to your bed.

For a Bedknobs and Broomsticks experience: the slate floors are slanted to make it seem as though the bed is hovering above the ground.

This long, narrow room is modeled after, what else? A mineshaft. Each bed is on a terrace and the walls are tilted for that homey, claustrophobic feeling.

This minimal space conveniently doubles as a photographer’s studio with in suite backdrops and lighting boxes. Obviously, the bed is located under the floor beneath a garage gate.

A vintage wood lamp and turned bowl stands next to the bed. "We wanted to incorporate elements used in residential homes," Hollis says of the eclectic medley of accessories and furnishings in the space. "These would be items that you would collect over time. They don't exactly match, but they all work together—they create a relaxed casual environment while still elevating the interior and amenities to what you expect from a world-class luxury property."

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.

Going Underground The site the Wadhams found for their home was designated as “green belt” land, which meant that there were restrictions on the size of the structure’s footprint. Because it’s critical for the pair to live on a single floor, especially as they grow older, Archer tucked the home’s three guest rooms—vital for four visiting children and eight grandchildren—all belowground. Not only does that keep the home’s layout trim, but with the living spaces and master bedroom at ground level, the couple will be able to stay in the house for longer, getting more use out of the energy and resources expended to build it.

Cassidy used the pool as an anchor for an overarching backyard master plan that pulled the parts together.

Wheelhaus founder and CEO Jamie Mackay creates prefabs with the same quality and durability of the log cabins he grew up with, while also incorporating his values of green production and modern design. Although it takes about four months to construct his prefabricated properties, it takes about a week for the home to be delivered, and then three to five days for the house to be set up on site.

Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.

This is Unit 1, the most private of the four units. It's got a cool Milo Baughman sofa, a polished chrome coffee table by J. Wade Beam, a pair of Bertoia barstools, and a Thonet-inspired chair.

In 1962, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architect Arthur Witthoefft won the AIA's highest honor for a home he built in the lush woods of Westchester County. Having fended off a developer's wrecking ball, Todd Goddard and Andrew Mandolene went above and beyond to make this manse mint again.

The master bath contains all functions in the white fiberglass panel that runs the length of the wall. Lazor designed the vanity; the tub is by Duravit.

“It was a major decision to put the kitchen in the center where everything would revolve around it,” says Lazor. “We did this simply by following what patterns we observed—it was just where people gravitated.” The bar stools are by Blu Dot, and the chairs by Charles and Ray Eames.

It was tough to get a decent shot of the white, thoroughly modern facade of the Modern Honolulu, but this back-bending perspective shows how the clean geometry of the building plays off the lush foliage. I took this photo from the entry of the hotel.

In the DoghousePaul and Shoko's dog, Mei, has lucked into a small prefab home of her own. Making use of a water jet cutter at his office, and using Adobe Illustrator as his design tool, Paul fashioned a series of panels that slot together without any nails or screws.

I didn't take this photo, obviously, but it does give an idea of the Modern's mid-century facade on the right.

I've been to a few hotels now that pride themselves on their hip, design-forward shops. The one at the Modern is no different, with goods ranging from watches to shades to housewares to bikinis to (be still the architecture fan's heart) a Shigeru Ban monograph.

James's bedroom furniture was custom designed by Hatch Workshop.

This was my room, Unit 2. It's the only one with the bed pushed up against the window, set on a unique cantilevered bed frame created by Trowbridge, a furniture designer. It took a little while to get used to the lack of curtains; the designers opted to keep the glazed walls open, to maximize guests' experience of Lautner's legendary approach to daylight. The surrounding walls offer plenty of privacy from prying eyes, though, and a provided sleep mask blocks out morning rays.

Just because your kitchen is on the smaller side doesn’t mean you can’t make it as efficient and effective as possible.

Their creative confections may ruin our diets, but we’re happy to be their taste testers anytime.

This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.