homes

Emylia and Minh use their plants to make a variety of foods and drinks.

Large cutouts take the place of glass windows and entire walls, inviting sunlight, breezes, and even rain to enter. The roots of a princess vine drop from the roof garden to the ground floor.

Lead architect, Tom Lenchek, opted for simple forms and materials that direct attention outwards, towards the cabin's natural surroundings.

Veneer plywood was used in both interior and exterior applications, providing a clean yet warm aesthetic.

Floris, seven, stands on the mezzanine next to a walnut version of the Wave sideboard her father designed for Content by Terence Conran. The enamel water jug was found at a local brocante market.

A white Alba armoire by Pinch stands next to the brand’s Iona cheval mirror in a second-floor bedroom. The Moroccan rug was found in Paris; the Malm bed from IKEA was a budget buy.

Roberta’s bedroom suite is positioned at the east end of the home and has north facing views. The B&B Italia nightstand was customized to match the bed’s height.

“Cocktail hour is sacred,” says Roberta. So, in a storage wall (shared by the living area on one side and the kitchen on the other) Bjorngaard tucked in an elegant bar (with a French Pyrolave lava stone counter and backsplash) that has everything she needs for drink service.

The living room has a gray rug by Tai Ping Carpets, rust-colored B&B Italia sofas, a pendant by David Weeks, and a frieze of butterflies by artist Kirk Maxon inspired by birds that flutter in the treetops outside Roberta’s balcony. Blinds, pocketed in the soffit above the doors, come down automatically when the sun is too bright.

"A matching bench extends into the open shower where accordion corner windows can open entirely,

"Upscaled accordion doors and a picture window set the stage for dining two ways: either intimately contained within the art-adorned room, or open to the elements and extending the party onto the cypress-ringed dining deck,

“He really understood that we wanted inside but outside space,” says one of the homeowners of Casa B, Federica de la Mora. “The house opens completely, so you’re both in the main dining room and outside. We like to have breakfast on terrace, so he made a special place where we have a lot of trees to have dining there. He uses nature as a complement to the house, but he doesn’t overwhelm the nature.”

At Las Rocas, you always have two views: the lake and the rocks, which was the impetus for erasing the corners of the home. “The corner openings were a must for this project, because they really connect you to the outside,” says architect Ignacio Urquiza.

The home floats gracefully over the landscape, with pine Shou Sugi Ban siding from Delta Millworks cladding the exterior — the dark ebony hue intentionally chosen to help it blend in with nature.

The media room does triple duty as an office, home theater, and guest room when the Murphy bed is pulled down. “The vibes are right in the morning for writing,” says the wife, “and at night for movies.” The husband adds, “We really intentionally only wanted a TV to exist in the media space.”

Geremia Design worked with New Zealand–based Douglas + Bec to create the spacious dresser and matching bedside tables.

Custom millwork and shutters complement the original, leaded-glass windows. “We had been to the Getty Museum looking at some amazing wooden shutters there,” says the husband of the inspiration. A large silk Niba Designs rug provides a serene backdrop for the space.

The master bedroom showcases a custom bed with fabric by BDDW and designed by Geremia. The bedside sconces are by Materia. The homeowners wanted BDDW bedside tables, but having them made-to-order would have been a challenge to budget for. “We were able to snag a beautiful pair off the floor of the showroom, and work the budget around them,” says Willemsen. “To a certain extent, this first purchase 'defined' our budget, but it also showed the client that we were committed and creative.”