“We wanted the wood to appear as natural as possible, so leaving the larch untreated was the first choice,” Bas explained. But the shape of the house would make the wood turn gray unevenly, so they blackened the larch. “The clients were excited with the dark color as it helps the house blend into the trees. They didn’t want the anything excessive or showy.” But blackened timber comes with its own challenges. Since it absorbs more heat, a larger air cavity was built behind the wood to keep it cool.

The best.

This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.

The scraps originate from European cars, and over 200,000 workers in the neighborhood recycle them into vehicles that suit African roads.

Melle Smets and Joost van Onna worked with the local craftspeople to craft a special car, the SMATI Turtle 1, that was featured as part of Design Indaba Expo’s "Africa is Now" exhibition.

Dutch designers Melle Smets and Joost van Onna undertook a project with craftspeople in the Ghanaian neighbourhood of Suami Magazine, where discarded car parts are transformed into new vehicles.

Black and white kitchen cabinets painted with a triangular pattern add a whimsical touch to this funky kitchen.

A Dutch door is camouflaged in the home's board and batten siding. The Master Bedroom's private garden court gains privacy with the use of etched glass panels.

805 by Braven, $200. Available in nine vibrant colorways, the 805 wireless Bluetooth speaker by Braven is not meant to blend quietly into your decor, but interact with and enhance it.

Prism by Lexon, $55. This adorable clock radio and rechargeable speaker designed by Joe Doucet appears to recline backward on whatever surface it rests.

"Swing with Plants" designed by Marcel Wanders for the Dutch design house Droog.

When Abbie and Bill Burton hired Marmol Radziner to design their prefab weekend home, their two requests were “simple-simple, replaceable materials,” says Abbie—such as concrete floors (poured offsite in Marmol Radziner's factory) and metal panel siding—and “the ability to be indoors or outdoors with ease.” Deep overhangs provide shade and protection from rain, so the Burtons can leave their doors open year-round and hang out on their 70-foot-long deck even in inclement weather. They visit the house once a month, usually for a week at a time, with Vinnie and Stella, their rescue Bernese Mountain dogs. Their two adult children occasionally join them. The couple hopes to one day retire here.

The Dutch's view from outside.

Sound1 by 11+, $85. Korean design studio cloudandco created this charmingly minimalist Bluetooth speaker, which is available at the Dwell Store. Its cylindric form is a welcome departure from the boxier shapes so common in speaker design.

Big Jambox by Jawbone, $299. With its undulating grille and geometric shape, the Big Jambox, which was launched in 2012 by Jawbone, is perhaps the most recognizable portable Bluetooth speaker on the market.

Core by Mass Fidelity, $499 Utilizing a special audio rendering technique called Wave Field Synthesis, the Core eliminates the need for listeners to sit between two space-consuming speakers to enjoy optimal sound performance.

The concrete wall mimics the slope of the hill outside as a reference to early Maori structures that were dug into the land. The simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The ceramic works on the built-in seat at right are by Raewyn Atkinson and Robyn Lewis.

After living on and studying a woodsy acre of land in North Zealand, Denmark, architect Jesper Brask cleared a stand of pine trees and, from the timber, built a getaway open to its surroundings. The house, which Brask shares with his wife, Lene, and sons, Kristian, Jens, and Niels, is used mainly in summer, when the weather is optimal for throwing open the glass doors.

A special Dutch treat—chocolate sprinkles, best eaten on toasted, buttered bread.

Architect Barbara Bestor added a striped floor of Santander Granada Tile, Douglas Fir cladding, and Granada Serengeti tile flipped to create a one-of-a-kind pattern on the wall.

Mami and Goo the Kishu dog return from a frolic in the forest, which the couple, along with Hideaki, has thinned and trimmed back over many weekends. It’s an idyllic escape and a world away from the concrete expanse of Tokyo.

During Dutch Design Week 2015, the Hands Off exhibition was shown in the Veemgebouw building. It included designer Eric Klarenbeek’s experiments with mycelium.

Reinforced Wood Wool Cement Board by Dutch Design Initiative.

In Seattle's rapidly developing South Lake Union neighborhood, the Art Stable is a classic example of urban infill. Built on the site of a former horse stable, the seven-story mixed-use building carries its history into the future with highly adaptable live/work units.

The master bath commands one of the best views in the house.

Natural wooden walls clad the dining room corner, while a marigold lantern hangs above.

Using prefabricated elements, Bas van Bolderen Architectuur and Studio Puisto Architects were able to complete the dwelling in just eight months so the couple’s lives could return to normal. Wall elements were constructed in Germany, then transported to the Netherlands, where the house was erected in just one week.

The Beam by Fern and Roby, $4,500. These stationary tower speakers from Virginia-based industrial design firm Fern and Roby earn their place in your den with pleasingly warm fronts made of heart pine.

The staircase divides the house in two, separating the kitchen from the other living spaces. A large skylight lets in ample illumination.

UE Mini Boom by Logitech, $99. Compact and stylish, the UE Mini Boom portable speaker makes the perfect companion for outdoor festivities.

Japanese showers are usually set low down so the bather can sit on a stool and scrub, then pour cedar buckets of hot water over their heads for a refreshing rinse. This homeowner in Venice, California mounted a handheld shower head on the wall for added flexibility. The drain is under the removable cedar floor slats, keeping the room design uncluttered. Wood tubs are cleaned with a simple rinse and last for decades, as the antiseptic properties of cedar guard against mold and rot. This ofuro was designed by Santiago Ortiz and fabricated by Bartok Design.

Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

Tanya, Chris, Jackson, and Zeke spend much of their day outside.

Because the house is narrow and long (16 by 68 feet), the design team decided to create a huge open-air space to light the interior naturally. Two retractable motor-driven canvas canopies shelter the space during Singapore’s frequent rains.