The shelter’s standout feature is a vertical, central light well that imbues the space with a refuge-like quality.
Natural light filters through the glazing, suffusing the cabin in warmth.
A custom steel coat rack welded to a structural beam sways when visitors ascend the stairs.
Lalita stands in front of the coffee nook in the couple’s kitchen—one of several details that relates to their shared Brazilian heritage. Her childhood was split between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, while Fabio grew up in São Paulo before moving to various cities around the world as part of his career in advertising.
The second floor houses three lits bretons, boxlike compartments where the curtains can be drawn to close sleepers off from the world. Inside, each has a built-in shelf
for personal belongings and a favorite read.
Built in 18 months on a budget of $105,000, this charming A-frame saves on costs with an interior lined with exposed plywood.
The home’s exterior features a smooth, white stucco. An open-air bathroom features a sink constructed using a custom terrazzo made by Mila.
The office also includes a small bathroom.
Gloria Montalvo’s weekend getaway on a reserve in central Chile is just 580 square feet, but the entire forest is its living room. Designed by architect Guillermo Acuña, it features a transparent facade over a skeletal pine frame.
The screen was fabricated by the contractor O’Brien Wood & Iron. "I like this treatment because it’s so dynamic," says Jocie. "It acts as a separator, but it does have some transparency and visibility with it." The existing red oak floors in this room were stripped and bleached to more closely match the new white oak stairs and floors.
The screen extends down to the basement mudroom.
The full-kitchen makes the Dwell House a fully equipped home, but hidden inside the cabinetry, it also allows the space to function as an office, an exercise room, and many other functions.
A huge 12-foot folding glass wall opens to create an indoor/outdoor living space.
The simplicity of the structure, in form and materiality, amplifies the dramatic mountain views and feelings of solitude. "We called it the hermitage because it’s a getaway,
MAIN BEDROOM - 750 square foot vaulted plywood suite, with polished concrete terrazzo floors, clerestory views of the nearby boulder spires, and floor to ceiling windows looking out to the Mojave desert and the twinkling city lights far below.
Each of the three bedrooms offer views of both the harbor and East Penobscot Bay beyond.
"I wanted to create a really timeless base throughout the house while still incorporating some punches of color in areas like the bathrooms and in some of the furnishings,
Flooding is a constant threat in subtropical New South Wales, so Casey Johnston (pictured, with sons Raph and Ozzy) and husband Martin asked architect Justin Twohill to design a backyard house that could weather a downpour with minimal cleanup.
Be selective about splurging. One of the hardest, yet potentially most satisfying, parts of staying on budget is learning where to save and where to splurge. There are certain items or pieces that are worthy of spending more on, whether it’s a sofa that will last you a decade or kitchen countertops that will really help improve the value of your home. Your contractor or other design professional can advise you on locations or pieces where a higher-quality product is important versus something more basic.
The back deck features an outdoor shower designed by Scott. Made of stainless steel and brass components, it uses a garden watering nozzle for the shower and foot-wash heads.
The entryway divides the common areas from the private ones. Normann Copenhagen hooks sit above a Nelson platform bench by Rove Concepts and Muuto baskets.
The door to the right leads to the garden kitchen where the cooking school sessions are held. It’s housed in a central volume and surrounded by greenery and relaxed dining set-ups.
In the bathhouse, "clay bricks slip-glazed on two sides are laid with contrasting mortar to match the raw clay color of the other sides," says the firm.
A view of the couple’s lounge. "From the outset it was clear: Goren and Streeter did not want a scheme for themselves; they needed a scheme that would invite, in a participatory way, the involvement of others," says Hill. "In other words, they are an example of a contemporary household, since they were requesting to enlarge their lives but not in a way that relied on the superseded model of being a ‘family.’"
The living room is furnished with vintage items, including a leather-and-chrome chair by Suekichi Uchida and a stacking stool by Florence Knoll.
The house is nestled in the front garden, which is also the septic field.
EXTERIOR - Our ranch house sits on 9 acres of private boulders and has lots of outdoor living space and something to see from every window. It feels remote but has cell reception and is minutes away from town.
Perhaps the ultimate Airbnb, Le Chacuel in Yucca Valley is a minimalist retreat recently renovated by its design-minded owners.
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