Kelly Dawson is a writer in Los Angeles who has been contributing to Dwell's print and online publications since 2015. Follow her on Instagram @kellydawsonwrites.

This Los Angeles ADU Builder Says It Can Add a Home to Your Backyard in Nine Months
Prefab company Cover offers turnkey projects by handling permitting, installation, and everything in between.
In England, a Couple Build a Serene Backyard Home for Aging in Place
With accessibility and sustainability top of mind, architect Oliver Leech designs a garden dwelling that brings a family closer...
This Supersized Cabin in a Colorado Ski Town Brings Three Generations Together
Architect Susan Conger-Austin expanded on the idea of a modest mountain home by playing with scale and the all-black aesthetic.
They Made a New Life in Australia, and Built a Family Home That Merges Past and Present
A couple from India gives their brick residence heritage touches that remind them of where they started and how far they’ve come.
A Surprising Venice Beach A-Frame Reaches Its Peak Potential
Following a renovation that better connected it to the outdoors, designer Katie Gebhardt punched it up with a West Coast palette.
These Pint-Size Prefab Cabins Are Now Available in the USA Starting at $37K
A family in Latvia built this idyllic country retreat with three tiny homes from My Cabin, a European builder with a new facility...
Planning to Paint? Consider This Your “2023 Color of the Year” Cheat Sheet
New year, new hue—we speak to six brands about the shades that’ll be big in the coming months.
Before & After: A Choppy San Francisco Home Finds Its Flow After a Mullet Renovation
Malcolm Davis Architecture helps a family roll back years of hodgepodge additions while opening the rear facade to the garden.
Budget Breakdown: An Architect Reimagines a Ramshackle Catskills Cabin for $170K
After discovering a rough-and-tumble 1959 getaway, Drew Stuart sets about polishing it up with period-appropriate fixtures and...
A Los Angeles Director’s Garage Is Recast as an ADU With a Screening Room
With playful portholes and head-to-toe plywood, the new studio gives Wash Westmoreland a place to write, relax, and watch films.
A Couple Carve Open a Working Sonoma Farmhouse to Savor the Surrounding Fields
“When the kitchen’s glass doors are open, it feels like you’re cooking in the vineyard,” says architect Christie Tyreus.
Budget Breakdown: A Couple Roll Up Their Sleeves to Revamp a Colorado A-Frame for $164K
Amy Pigliacampo and Corey Szopinski brave snow, fire, and falling trees as they transform a ’70s cabin into a Scandinavian-style...
A Santiago Couple Build Four Cabins—and a New Life—in Chile’s Lakes District
Leaving the bustling city behind, a psychologist and an engineer start over with a set of rentable retreats clad in reclaimed...
Before & After: A SoCal Surfer’s Choppy Kitchen Catches a New Wave
Designer Lisa Carolla streamlines her space for post-beach bites, communal cooking, and everyday living in Encinitas.
Before & After: A Storied Midcentury Home Begins a New Chapter on Its 70th Anniversary
Architect Robert Swatt sets out to preserve a classic John Carl Warnecke house while carrying it into the present.
This Revamped Seattle Midcentury Is a “Riff on the Original Melody”
Cast Architecture tunes up a 1955 home’s finishes and flow while allowing its classic details to sing.
Before & After: A Rural Home on the California Coast Exudes Simplicity in Materials and Mindset
A new addition makes it possible for kids to have their own space, while still being close to their parents.
A Designer Peels Back Layers of Linoleum and Shag Carpet to Rescue a ’60s A-Frame
This Donner Lake cabin by Holly Snow Hollenbeck makes the grade with swervy furniture, clever built-ins, and terrazzo galore.
An Australian Family’s Farmhouse Reflects the Splendor of Its Surroundings
A young couple seek to maximize livability and sustainability amidst the rolling hills and vineyards of the Piccadilly Valley.
A Young Couple Enliven a Viennese Apartment With Vivid Tile and Clever Cabinetry
It was no small feat to hoist 6,000 pounds of zellige into this rooftop home—but the result was worth the lift.
A Seattle Inventor’s Home Does Double Duty as a Working Laboratory
Designed by Olson Kundig, this experimental residence is a testament to teamwork, sustainability, and a willingness to tinker...
A Los Angeles Home Reaches Its Peak Potential With Floor-to-Ceiling Views
Kolbe Windows & Doors gives a midcentury house a fresh outlook on its surroundings.
A Striking Home by Fury Design Asks $3.3M in Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill Neighborhood
Overlooking the Wissahickon Valley of Philly’s famed Fairmount Park, just 20 minutes from Center City, this custom residence...
Before & After: “Patience and Perseverance” Save a Rundown Eichler Home With a Major Mold Problem
Some things were beyond salvaging, but a renovation by interior designer Diona Polito worked to honor the history of the house.
A Couple’s Home Strives for Sustainability in an Olive Grove Near Madrid
Slow Studio uses passive design techniques to create a brick house with a surprisingly light footprint.
A Shipping Container Home Rises on a Rocky Site Outside Stockholm
Architect Måns Tham collaborates with a young family to create an efficient and light-filled arrangement of eight shipping...
Koto Just Unveiled a New Backyard Prefab Cabin for $75K
Designed in collaboration with Garden Club London, the carbon-neutral retreat is a tiny slice of paradise.
This Three-Story Home in the Catskills Is Modeled After a Watchtower
Dwell held a contest to find the next must-visit listing on Airbnb, and this is it—introducing the Hudson Lookout.
It Took More Than a Decade for This San Francisco Home to Feel Complete
John Kleman and Georgianna Salz-Kleman create the house of their dreams with hard work, strategic planning, and the right...
The Best Places to Shop Small for Holiday Gifts in Los Angeles
Skip the Grove—and any stressful shopping hub, for that matter.
Koto’s Latest Prefab Cabin Is Stacked to Capture Views
The UK builder’s sleek two-story design places an emphasis on connecting to the surrounding landscape.
A Family Joins Hands to Restore a Crumbling Farmhouse in South Africa
Architect Lee de Wit and his relatives work together to create a getaway where nearly everything in sight tells a story.
This New Jersey Home’s Scandinavian-Style Refresh Banishes Winter Blues
A remodel by architect Peter Goodhue transforms a dark, cramped residence into an airy place for a young family.
A Couple’s Home in New Jersey Takes Root Near a Peaceful River
Z+ Architects navigated an unusual riverfront site to create a contemporary residence with tranquil views and privacy.
A Spanish-Style Home in San Diego Gets a Big Upgrade With Just 39 Additional Square Feet
Thanks to a simplified layout and clear connection to the outdoors, this historic home is ready for a new chapter.
A Skinny Brooklyn Townhouse Stacks Spaces for Living, Working, and Entertaining
Motorcycles, a music studio, and more find their homes on the tiered floors of a renovation in Red Hook.