The covered approach, a common element in Wright's works, is flanked by Japanese stone lanterns.

1935Chair 65 by Alvar Aalto for Artek.

"Capitello, Easy Chair" by Studio 65.

An Alvar Aalto table is surrounded by a quartet of the designer’s Chair 65.

A couple enlist Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design to reimagine their home as a multigenerational meeting point. In 1963, landscape designer Lawrence Halprin devised a master plan for a community that would live in harmony with the natural environment. The resulting Sea Ranch, which stretches 10 miles along the Pacific coastline in Sonoma County, California, is characterized by timber-frame, wood-clad structures that are in dialogue with the local climate and terrain. Sited on a bluff within this pioneering community is the vacation home of a lawyer couple. After purchasing the residence in 2007, they lived in the home as it was for four years, even keeping the previous owners’ furniture. Envisioning a retreat that would accommodate their extended family and guests, they then recruited Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design to help guide the project.

Sleeping nooks that look like the grooves in a block of cheese.

The Ilo Playhouse features a footprint of roughly 42 square feet, and it’s approximately 6.5 feet tall at its highest point.

Sketch of Soma Water

"4x4," S2 Architecture This modernist cube by S2 Architecture features transparent Plexiglas windows that emit a warm glow from the interior.

A passage between the walls for hide and seek.

At over 500 square feet, the house’s green roof may be its most powerful—and most expensive—environmental statement. It cost $8,000 to waterproof, and $7,000 to landscape. Water from the roof feeds the toilet and the garden’s watering system, and the garden itself insulates the house and keeps gas bills low in winter. Photo by Nic Granleese.

In need of more room for their growing brood, Eric and Emma Gimon, with Luc, Paul, baby Louise, and their dog, Nefi, asked for a private space to accompany the house designed for Eric’s great-aunt.

The master suite was fashioned from the house’s original garage in a 1970s renovation.

In 1950, architect Chalfont Head designed The French Residence in Fillmore, California, for Dr. William French and his family. The redwood-clad home sits on a spacious lot, surrounded by neighboring midcentury abodes. Upon arrival, the gravel driveway opens to a motor court and a two-car garage.

Judin was fascinated by the abandoned gas station ever since he first discovered it in 1992. At the time, it had been unused for seven years. He finally purchased it in 2005 and transformed it into a one-of-a-kind residence.

The Andersen Architectural Collection’s Eagle windows and doors provide the panes and passageways of the home.

White brick exterior of Goddard and Mandolene’s home post renovation.

The main floor spans 200 square feet, and the loft is 65 square feet.

Foyer

In the bedroom, a 1930s painting by French artist Louis Parrens hangs above a vintage nightstand with a Lampe Gras light, designed in 1921 by Bernard-Albin Gras. The bed is dressed with Merci linens.

Even in Ella’s room, Ikea chairs and bed mingle with a restored Bertoia child’s chair.

The family’s two cats, Baron and Jula.

Upstairs, the clutter-free bedrooms of Segal’s teenagers reflect their father’s less-is-more ethos.

The “Sassi” of the Southern Italian UNESCO World Heritage City of Matera are ancient cave dwellings dug out of the region’s limestone rock, which have been used by humans from as far back as 7000 BC.

Low-maintenance, sustainable materials were favored throughout the house. Striking orange Pirelli studded rubber floors were chosen for the main bathroom. Clean white fixtures and black shower cladding complete the graphic space.

An archival photo shows the interior of the detached studio with drafting tables awash in light through the enormous skylight above.

Built in the early 60s, the separate concrete-and-glass studio echoes the original home.

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

The lower floor is built at a high section of the slope—about 1.65 feet below the ground—to create a living area that’s embedded within the terrain.