Thanks to Matthew Hufft, their envelope-pushing architect and longtime friend, Hannah and Paul Catlett have a new home in southwestern Missouri that’s a fresh, unconventional take on the traditional farmhouse.

The caged staircase was designed by architect Patrick Ousey, with whom Flournoy collaborated in the home’s design. Although initially unconvinced by the staircase detail, “it is a great example of how collaboration brings in different perspectives,” says Flournoy.

A Design Within Reach bed is steps away from a Second Floor sink by Duravit that’s outfitted with an Essence Grohe faucet. Benjamin Moore’s Templeton Gray is painted on the master bathroom’s wood paneling.

Boise, Idaho–based architectural designer Macy Miller built her own 196-square-foot home, which she shares with her partner, James Herndon, their newborn, Hazel, and the family’s Great Dane, Denver. The exterior cladding, which Miller stained for a uniform effect, is a mix of nearly a dozen types of wood plank, including poplar, oak, and fir.

Enticed by the bookstand’s offerings, one reader picks and chooses, casually using the awning as a sunshade. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.

Link Catlett and Butters, the dog, stroll alongside their home’s namesake wraparound porch, made of Brazilian ipe. Rolling slatted doors screen the living room windows, providing shade on sunny days.

Stott and Levy used Teragren bamboo flooring and Milgard sliding glass doors. “Universal design isn’t just for older people,” the daughter says about the single-story layout and zero-step entries. “If you don’t need steps, don’t have them.”

The triangle is the home’s leitmotiv, appearing in the cantilevered bedroom module and the steps approaching the entrance.

Steps

The Dora pendant lights in the kitchen are from Rejuvenation; quartz countertops are by Cambria and the custom bar stools are by Rocky Mountain Table Company. In Situ Studio designed the solid walnut steps with custom steel rails, a walnut hand rail, and a removable baby gate.

The lava rock used for the steps was cut on a giant saw near Hilo. Craig finished assembling the staircase just in time for Zane’s one-year baby luau.

Dollahite perches on the steps to his living room beside his dog, who saw him through the entire renovation.

H.K. STEPS, 2010, designed by Martin Szekely. Carbon fiber, felt.

Oak steps lead to the loft bed.

Steps with storage that lead up to the balcony.

The master bedroom is privately located off the main house in a rectangular tower towards the back of the home. The master is complete with custom touches like distressed blackened steel steps that lead down to a private basement garage, as well as cantilevered steps up to a penthouse office.

The outside steps of the Zulaikha–Laurence house in Sydney’s suburb of Balmain Point present an effective transition from the solid rock underfoot to the delicate structure of the house beyond. This approach helps to define the singular space of the residence.

The wooden steps a sense of warmth to the simple, minimalist interiors.

Stone walls, made with rock excavated on site, frame the ascent with cement steps.

And only six easy steps are necessary, the last one reading: "Sit back and enjoy."

The steps lead to a roof deck, where the owners can enjoy sweeping views of the ocean.

Stone steps lead up from the gated front door to the entrance on the south side of the house.

The master bedroom was raised and cantilevered so as not to disturb the mature oak tree roots. Boulders are used as steps to the lawn.

The steps and exterior are lined with Finnish brick; a mix of vertical and horizontal patterns add visual interest.

The family cat, Rey, steps in front of the concrete fireplace in the living room. Floor-to-ceiling windows enhance the indoor-outdoor connection.

The two sets of concrete steps hug two sides of a void, allowing the open porch to retain two exposures.

Steps lead down from the kitchen to the living room and dining area. Open shelving keeps the spaces connected but distinct.

A George Nelson pendant hangs in the reconfigured entrance hall, whose stairs echo the concrete steps off the back deck.

A mattress bed sits atop the seven steps in Michael Pozner’s just-under-500-square-foot abode in Greenwich Village.

A second aperture in the roof is located over the shallow end of the pool. An alfresco dining area, with seating by Kettal, is perched a few steps below.

Planters have been placed around the pleats to create pockets of sky gardens on the perimeter of the building, with some featuring steps that lead to other outdoor terraces.

On Bainbridge Island, Jim and Hannah Cutler created a cabin for reading and working. Sited just steps from the main house, it’s a welcoming retreat that the father and daughter share.

At the back, the building steps down to the courtyard garden in a ziggurat formation, with the main living spaces on the lowest floor.

The architecture follows the natural contours of the wedge-shaped site: the building is placed on higher ground on the site’s wider east end, while exterior decking steps down to the pool to the west.

At the front of the main house, architect Danny Lim framed one of the original windows with new trim to give it a more modern feel and installed limestone on the porch and steps.

The living area boasts nearly 10-foot-high ceilings that impart a feeling of airiness and spaciousness. Discreet, built-in storage in the floor at the top of the steps prevents clutter from accumulating.