The planks inside the house blend into those on the small porch just outside. It's a nice touch that helps marry the outdoors with the home's interior.

An aluminum-framed door leading to the terrace provides an added sense of depth, integrating outside with inside. Here, the metal contrasts sharply with the natural birch flooring.

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."

The couple stockpiles wood under the deck.

The home’s sliding doors blur the boundaries between inside and out.

Hidden Storage The Murphy bed in the guest bedroom sits behind Montague’s desk, allowing the compact room to function comfortably for working and sleeping at different times. It’s made with customized millwork, Häfele bed hardware, and an Ikea mattress. When it’s open, it reveals hidden shelving. hafele.com ikea.com

Cedar slats help this Ontario lake house float soundly atop still waters. Photo by: Raimund Koch

Pine was used for the exterior siding and the lower perimeter base is lined in reinforced concrete.

Maricarmen looks out toward the ocean from inside the sliding glass NanaWall.

Even in cold weather, they open the sliding doors to let the fresh air in.

By merging typical Saigon architectural and stylistic details, architect Toan Nghiem of a21 Studio created a space that brings family together. Stacking roof layers, open flowering balconies, and an alleyway that serves as a living room, dining room, and outdoor playground are all filled with colorful, rich materials. Inside Saigon House, reclaimed and second-hand furniture lend history and spirit to the home. With so many small interior rooms and divisions between spaces, the addition of a net ceiling brings openness to the back alleyway, where the family often gathers to eat dinner. Not only does the net allow for ventilation and light, but it offers a place to play for the children, who love to climb and lounge above their parents.

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.

Cal and Macy jump rope with mom and dad.

Blaisse compared the effect of the installation to looking at the back of a painting.

Mirrors were placed in the living areas, kitchen, dining room, and corridors. There are even outdoor mirrors on the grounds and terrace, and one on the flat roof to reflect the clouds in the sky. The stairs are one of the few surfaces without reflective covering.

“Objects start to float,” Blaisse says. “Things that hang suddenly stand, a column becomes a metaphor, and with mirrors in the garden and on the roof, you create a waterfall of imagery. If we added mirrors on the ceilings, it would have been bananas.”

Window coverings were removed to allow the outdoor light to stream in and reflect the cityscape against the interior.

Designed by the architecture firm Brinkman and Van der Vlugt 1933, the Sonneveld House features an array of modernist furniture from W.H. Gispen, B. van der Leck, and others.

The Sonneveld House was previously covered with wall-to-wall carpet and linoleum, so landscape architect and interior designer Petra Blaisse added a layer of reflective plastic on top, creating a temporary new finish. Visitors are required to wear plastic covers on their shoes as they tour the home. Those covers still leave slight trails on the new floor, which creates a sociological study of how people tour the home.

The project exposes the hidden dimensions of different pieces of furniture, allowing visitors to “see under the skirts” of the designs, according to Blaisse. Each piece in the museum house also has an alarm attached, so the installtion also exposes some of the secrets of the security system.

Blaisse's aim wasn’t to add to the historic residence, but to show it in the second degree, adding new dimensions to a sacred space.

The outside and inside designs of the Tim Biskup Wallet 1.

Choosing not to make a big to-do of itself, this cottage blends in with its surroundings. A wall of glass on one end allows a merger of the outdoors with the interiors, while white trim leaves the appearance of a snow-kissed façade year-round. Berlin, Germany. By Atelier st Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

Transformer or beach hut? Positioned in a coastal erosion zone, this holiday retreat for a family of five is completely capable of being relocated. An oversized shutter allows for protection from the elements when not in use and opens to allow sun in during the winter or provide shade on hot summer days. Waikato, New Zealand. By Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects, from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

The second Jean Nouvel-inspired staircase lives outside, clinging to the side of the house and leading up to the roof deck, where there's a hot tub shaded by sun sails.

In the backyard, Kunigk “montaged” what she admired in the work of John Pawson, Tadao Ando, and Piet Oudolf, the Dutch garden designer who collaborated on landscaping for New York’s High Line. She plans to reconfigure the plantings again with the landscape designer Rina Zweig, who worked on the front yard.

Architect Bruno Despierre built a deck for outdoor activities from pine wood.

Inside the studio

The bach’s beachfront site is nestled behind sand dunes with views toward Kapiti Island, a nature sanctuary.

The house is surrounded by buildings on all sides except its south facade, which faces the street. An expansive operable window is key for effective ventilation during hot summer months. Additionally, a cantilevered balcony shelters a carport, bike storage, and even a playful swing.

The veranda looks out onto the harbor.

Stuth and Shelton's bedroom.

The office looks out on the spacious deck.