Emma Fuller-Monk

Built-in window seats and library shelving provide storage and a place to sit.

Nestled in the jungle of São Paulo, Casa de Vidro (or Glass House) was the first built project by architect Lina Bo Bardi. Its glass volume stands on thin support columns that allow greenery to grow into the home.

Birch plywood floating cabinets line the wall, carving out room for a painting that commands the dining room. The rest of the decor is quiet with subtle pops of greenery to echo the striking piece.

Architect Johan Sundberg looked to Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma for inspiration for the design of a holiday home in southern Sweden. "We call it the Katsura typology, but that's probably sacrilegious," he says. The eaves of the gently sloped hipped roof extend generously in all directions, turning the deck into a covered retreat that’s part veranda, part engawa, the Japanese version of a porch.

An Oslo apartment by architect Johan Tran features a Nordic and Japanese sensibilities. A Japanese-inspired sliding door made of birch plywood acts as a flexible room divider.

In California's idyllic Sea Ranch community, a vacation home privileges views of the Pacific Ocean and fog-shrouded trees. The bright and airy interiors, following a crisp, Scandinavian aesthetic, are pared back to retain focus on the spectacular surroundings.

"Around the time we were thinking of moving back [to San Francisco], I took a trip to Marfa, Texas, and fell in love with the agelessness of Donald Judd’s work," says Amy. "I liked the idea of having a classic American reference to the space, since we are influenced as much from America as we are by Asian culture."

The kitchen is efficient and compact, with flat-front cabinetry and Richlite counters.

Glass walkways allow family members to feel like they’re walking through a grove of olive trees while still being indoors.

Kitchen appliances are hidden behind sliding aluminum "garage" doors.

The Lais integrated large glass walls to bring in natural light and views, so they could enjoy the outdoors while inside.

Organize your bookshelf. Rearrange volumes by author, by genre, or any way you’d like—just not by color, please. Test out all your pens and markers. That feeling when you go to write something down and wind up dragging a dry pen across a notepad? Never again. Throw them out. Rearrange your living room. You bought that sectional for its flexibility, so give it a go. Flip the whole room over. Change your life. Mend your clothes. Darn socks. Sew buttons back on. Adjust the length of a skirt, or give your old jeans a new look with a raw hem.

Benjamin Moore’s 2021 color of the year is Aegean Teal, a hue meant to bring comfort into our homes.

O’Donnell anticipates green being a popular shade for kitchen cabinetry and living spaces in 2021.

The stripped-down, lofted bedroom is tucked under a slanted roof with generous skylights. Dating from the second half of the 17th century, the wooden ceiling expresses ancient construction techniques that draw from naval culture, recalling the masts of dismantled boats.

All of the furnishings are either hand-me-downs or found on Craigslist. "A big part of the project was sourcing furniture as economically as possible," says Pang.

The Hourglass Corral is a four-bedroom, 3000-square-foot home that derives its tessellated form from the architects’ application of the Voronoi diagram.

The choice of materials for their tactile qualities extended to the pool. "The same marble that's outside is inside of the swimming pool," says Loperena. "So, you look into it, and you immediately feel cool looking at it. And you go in and you feel it."

Less than 100 square feet, Studio Puisto’s new modular cabin can be configured as a home office, gym, or forest retreat.

In this rendering, the space is set up for sleep as the "Rest-Space" version. Wall-mounted rungs become clothing racks, and nightstands stand adjacent to the bed.

Custom furniture pieces attach to the wood structure on rungs, allowing owners to modify the space as needed over time. Here, the interior is set up as "Focus-Space," a private office with a wall-mounted work surface.

City Cabin | Olson Kundig

City Cabin floor plan

City Cabin | Olson Kundig

City Cabin | Olson Kundig

The pantry features black-stained timber doors that conceal appliances, keeping the kitchen surfaces clear.

mezzanine level is currently staged as a bedroom.

We are pretty major cactus lovers, and if you feel the same we’d highly suggest a visit to Moorten Botanical Garden. It’s “down the hill” from Joshua Tree in Palm Springs, but it’s worth the trip.

One of the very first things we did once we moved to Joshua Tree was take a tour of AZ West (Andrea Zittel’s home, studio, and artwork exploring ways to live). We left the tour completely inspired and thinking in new ways.

Beginning in the 1980s, artist Noah Purifoy began creating assemblage sculpture on 10 acres of land. We always feel transported into Noah’s memories when we visit this place.

Available to rent on Airbnb, the two-bedroom prefab house as a prototype for their pre-engineered IT House series and made an appearance in Dwell Magazine’s November 2008 issue.

Solar panels catch the sun's energy; wide expanses of open doors and windows provide cross-ventilation; and strategic overhangs shade against the desert's endless heat.