"It is something that seems at home in the forest, but at the same time, it’s strikingly strange,” notes Kivi.

A 24-by24-foot Cor-ten-clad pavilion tops the three-story addition.

In the kitchen area and throughout the home, Mads Odgård, shown here, and Mette Lyng Hansen mixed Odgård’s pieces, such as the Odgård kettle for Raadvad and custom table, with Ikea basics and the Workshop pendant lamp by Louis Poulsen.

A view into the airy, light-filled kitchen of 51 Nebraska by Todd Davis Architecture. The updated midcentury home pays homage to its roots.

The Cobb Haus, a wood-sided, 700-square-foot cabin in Cobb, California, features a large wood deck surrounded by towering trees.

Graphic and pastel textiles adorn a collection of modern chairs and sofas in the downstairs sitting room. Warm-gray floorboards extend throughout the whole lower level for a fresh, modern look.

From urban-dwellers to empty-nesters, many are now embracing the movement toward smaller, more sensible living. Bosch's new line of 24" kitchen appliances is designed to help them save space without downsizing on style.

Bosch's compact kitchen line, which includes an electric and gas cooktop, wall oven, and refrigerator, as well as an 18" dishwasher, is particularly well-suited for city apartments and secondary hangouts, like basements and guesthouses.

Together, Bosch's sleek 24" kitchen and laundry suites address the trend toward smaller living by extending modern, European-style design to even the closest quarters.

The W.W. Stool by Philippe Starck.

Joining the kitchen line, Bosch recently unveiled an efficient 24" laundry pair. The units can be stacked vertically, further reducing their footprint in the home.

A wide and airy bathroom features sliding partition doors and curved panoramic windows.

The courtyard is a secure space with a double-height window that offers seamless interior-exterior connection. “It gives a nice sense of containment and peace, while still engaging interior spaces,” says Cashman.

Steel strips form a security screen on the street side of the scullery. One can also hang pots and pans from them. A skylight filters illumination through glass block flooring to the basement below.

The kitchen is accessible from a raised courtyard across from the main living space. “The double exhaust hood looks like an old industrial gantry,” remarks Cashman. Sandblasted brick and sandstone from the original warehouse dialogue with floating white and grey cabinetry.

“The biggest design challenge was the facade,” says architect Mark Cashman. “It had to step back from the street and recede to give prominence to the heritage status warehouse facade.” Above the translucent bedroom level, a balcony with a herb garden steps back further. From the rooftop garden, downtown Sydney comes into full view.

Simultaneously sculptural and pragmatic, the undulating form of the W Magazine Stand’s molded plywood is both pleasing and useful. It’s compact enough for small spaces, though you may be loath to cover up the figurative grain pattern of the walnut with your magazines.

The master bedroom features wallpaper by Erika Wakerly. The glass tables next to the Croft House bed were gifts.

The spruce cladding that wraps around the Vilde tiny house model patinas and eventually turns a silvery-gray tone that blends into the Scandinavian landscape.

The nearly floor-to-ceiling windows also wrap around a corner of the room.

To deck out their vacation-rental property, Nicolas Potts and Emma Pilkington Mead crafted a cushy, rose-hued space. In the kitchenette, a comfortable upholstered daybed sits above the breakfast nook.

The 24-foot RV is six foot shorter than Living Vehicles next smallest model, and sets a new standard in the luxury travel market.

An en-suite bathroom is accessible along the opposite side of the bedroom.

The wet areas open to views of native trees above allow the morning light to flood in

“I’m so tired of beige, limewash, and earth colors,” Emma says. The couple used Garden Plum paint from Behr Marquee for the cabinetry and Kelp Forest tiles from Zia to enliven the kitchen.

In smaller abodes, spiral staircases are a practical way to access the second floor without taking up too much space. This studio apartment designed by Douglas Stephen & Partners was built in 1965 and has undergone an upgrade in recent years. With a compact, playful look, the bright yellow underside of this spiral staircase brings a bit of fun into a split-level in London, England.

LIVE. LOVE. LOFT.

A secondary bedroom meant for a child has a partially translucent, curved glass wall.

A pivoting Gyrofocus fireplace, staircase, and elevator shaft organize the social space. Lighting throughout the house is mostly ambient, supplemented by task-oriented lighting.

On facing adversity: Of course, when I became a draftsman, the next thing is, I said, "I better get to college." I applied to Pratt and was accepted at their night school. I was progressing pretty rapidly in this firm. Quite frankly, I stayed at this firm for a period of four years. The reason I left this firm was my mentor at the firm...had given me all of these assignments. I was the only one that was allowed to work overtime. I was working on an assignment in Atlanta and it came time for someone to go to Atlanta. All of the sudden another person was put on the team and sent to Atlanta. It was a young, white, male architect that basically came into this assignment that I worked on for so long. [My mentor] was protecting me because Atlanta was a racist town. This is where diversity comes into play today. I grew up with that sort of stuff. I don't want to see it anymore in my life. (Above: IBM Watson – 51 Astor Place, designed by The Switzer Group)

On starting his own firm after several interim jobs: I started The Switzer Group in 1975 with the secretary and myself. A big client to start...a fairly decent-sized project. Of course, the rest is history. I built that one client, to my second client, to a client that I have today, which is still my largest client, IBM. We handle [them] from Maine, to Florida, to Texas, Germany. (Above: IBM Watson – 51 Astor Place by The Switzer Group)

Is the design field getting more diverse? Absolutely! Compared to twenty years ago, compared to thirty years ago. I think clients today, most of them, are opening the doors. There's always going to be a certain client that's going to go back to the same architect no matter what. There [are] categories that people get put into. I will say that, the opportunities for this firm have been equally as good as any other firm. If we're given that opportunity, that's all I ask for. We believe we're good competitors and solid citizens in terms of [how] we preform our services. (Above: IBM Watson – 51 Astor Place, designed by The Switzer Group)