Vacation Homes

“The tussocks camouflage the house, melting it into the landscape,” says architect Kate Brown.

The off-grid bach’s second level cantilevers out over the ground floor, giving it a sense of weightlessness.

Herbst Architects wrapped the “bach” in a rhythmic swooping rain screen that mirrors sand and sea.

An open living area on the second level features floor-to-ceiling windows at the front and rear, linking expansive views of the ocean and countryside.

It has handbuilt furniture, a roof deck, and a slide—and you’ll dream about it all winter.

In Sonoma County, Studio Plow turns a 1955 residence into a retreat with an open floor plan, luxe finishes, and skylights and picture windows that peer out into the treetops.

The shingle-clad classic also has a guest house, pool, and viewing deck.

The two-level square plan figures neatly into a nature preserve in the Czech Republic, granting the owners immediate access to its surrounding beauty.

Bringing crisp lines to the spectacularly vast landscape, this Yucca Valley getaway is a minimalist sanctuary.

In suburbia you’d be a zoo animal, but out in the country, architect Sigurd Larsen’s transparent gable design is a refreshing alternative to a dusty attic.

Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architects frames panoramic views of the Tongass National Forest with two soaring, glass-fronted volumes.

Glass sliders running the length of the interior can close off the living space, or retract for a wide-open connection to the dining area, patio, and pool.

Thomas Schlosser—founder of Klassik Copenhagen—updates the former home of painter Carl Locher with 20th-century furnishings and a sophisticated monochrome palette.

Local firm Valari transforms a rustic masseria into an expansive holiday getaway overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Architect Conor Dolman gave the wood-clad cabin a folded roof to make it look like a bird in flight.

Sky House is a prefab, off-grid vacation home that is equal parts solitude and design.

Bizna Estudio combines passive house principles with a few regional materials to keep one family cool while on vacation.

Home sweet (hygge) home.

Its three arms stretch out to catch the best views of Ranco Lake and the Andes Mountains.

From secluded, off-grid cabins, to impressive urban retreats, these ten design-led vacation rentals let you choose whether to get lost in the wilderness or make the most of city...

PAD Studio replaced a rundown cottage with a new gable-roofed timber design that looks as if it’d been there all along.

These rentals reimagine conventional notions of inside and out and celebrate the beauty of the natural world in unexpected ways.

Every room features a view at the sustainable retreat, but hoisting the window provides an even deeper connection to its river setting.

They enclose the home’s private spaces, where bedrooms open onto interior courtyards with outdoor showers.

Architects Umberto Bonomo and Felipe Alarcón used a wedge-shaped wall to guard the concrete and glass home from the elements while still capturing ocean views.

A tight plan, all-timber interiors, and moody lighting give one young family of five a snug escape.

The retreat by Croxatto & Opazo is all about openness with outdoor stairs connecting to roof terraces and ocean views.

Our editors pick some of their favorite holiday getaways that architects and designers have uploaded to Dwell.com.

Architect Pau Munar and his girlfriend, Victoria Rodriguez, design a luminous base for weekend surfing excursions on the Mediterranean island’s northern coast.

A trifecta of buildings from Connect Homes—a main residence, a guesthouse, and a garage—form their new retreat in Sonoma.