Fabian plays with Morten in the yard, which features a spacious lawn and a greenhouse.

In an effort to create an abundance of light and air flow throughout the space, the home follows an L-shaped floor plan that wraps around outdoor areas. “We designed several open spaces, each with a different feel: the garden and pool, the terrace, and the back patio,” says Cesarman. “The idea was to reduce the area to the most basic and essential [elements].”

In the backyard, Umerani and Fashandi decided to limit the lawn to minimize water consumption.

The morning sky greets the hilltop

The gazebo overlooks the pool and spa

View of the villas from the pool

Paving at Pool Deck Edge Meeting Lawn

The rise of the front lawn and the height of the trees give the house a subtle presence amid magnificent surroundings.

Large sliding windows retract at the corner, opening the living area onto a lawn overlooking Long Island Sound.

Side Yard

LeMae and Vigil extended their environmentalist leanings outdoors. “In landscaping, we thought a lot about low-water and native plants,” LeMae explains. “The lawn we selected needs 50 percent less water than a normal Kentucky bluegrass lawn.”

The view from the uppermost level of the yard looks down to the slide and the sloped lawn, sandbox, and, beyond the gate, bioretention unit and mulch.

David and Elizabeth built the lawn chairs in the garden from old signs.

Wearing rubber gloves, apply the oil, starting from the corner of the room farthest from the door. Apply an even layer of oil all over the floor, using a wide floor brush or paintbrush. Use a small paintbrush for edges.

Side Yard

Having a lawn game at your party is a great way to keep guests entertained. A beautifully designed version of the classic lawn game, Pétanque—a French version of Italy's bocce—the Akiko Petanque set includes a set of six chrome boule balls and a target ball, packaged in a teak box for storing and carrying the game.

Using medium-grade sandpaper, sand down the front and edges of wooden, painted, or varnished doors or drawer fronts with power sander (2A) or sanding block (2B).

Olafur Eliasson's "Your Rainbow Panorama."

Cees, Jacquelien, Jillis, Lucas, and Thijske Noordhoek gather on the lawn; Andy Dochter looks out of the window while his wife Miriam stands on the terrace with sons Thomas and Vincent.

A new kitchen supplants former servants' quarters. "The [Beck] family didn't go back in the kitchen much; today, we kind of live in the kitchen," says Bodron+Fruit principal Svend Bodron.

Another side of the home opens up onto a large lawn.

Sleeping Cabin from southeast lawn and existing storage shed beyond.

Most tiles come in boxes or sheets enough to cover one square foot. Simply measure the length and width of area in feet and multiply to calculate the number of tiles to buy.

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.

"Your Rainbow Panorama," Olafur Eliasson, 2006-2011. Eliasson's team created a 360-degree walkway above the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum in Denmark, which provides panoramic views of the surrounding city, filtered through colored glass that forms a rainbow loop.

Anna: Medium Format Digi-back for your iPhone! Don't go garagesaling your old film cameras just yet! Badass Cameras has just created a medium format digital back for your Hasselblad, specifically for the use/fit of your iPhone. They just put their project on Kickstarter, and they're way past their goal to get this product going.

If you spring for the full kit ($85), you get a wool carrying case, and a rope-inspired Lightning cable for new iPads and iPhones. If using less energy in your daily life appeals to you, the Powerslayer is the most design-minded and functional option you can find.

A large portion of the 9,348-square-foot lot is taken up by the flat lawn.

The rear garden, visible from this living court, includes a vegetable patch, fruit trees, and lawn for plenty of play area.

Eames Demetrios joined Editor-in-Chief Sam Grawe in a discussion of the work of Charles and Ray Eames. "When your first name was Eames, your life is an informal poll on the notoriety of your grandparents," he said. Check out snippets of the conversation here, where the two chat about the Miller House, Charles's experiments with aluminum, and toeing the line between maintaining an iconic design and innovating. Photo by Carren Jao.

The expansive grassy lawns features several ponds, fountains, native greenery, and even a tea house.

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).

"We were interested in this idea of treading lightly on the site. Using a green roof is a logical extension of that. When you introduce a building that supplants a little piece of the forest floor, it's nice to replicate that on the roof as a return gesture to continue to create habitat for birds, animals, and plants, and to help manage the flow of storm water," explains McFarlane.

Rose’s pottery studio opens right up to the back lawn to let the sunlight (or curious pups) inside.