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Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing for Dwell since 2017. Read more of her work about design and architecture at melissadalton.net.

Before & After: Divine Details Help Streamline a Designer Couple’s L.A. Bungalow
A husband-and-wife team create a simple, understated home that inspires a sense of calm.
An Astounding Tessellated Home in Greece Burrows Into the Earth
A 10-year project on the island of Milos culminates in a sunken residence shaped by a 19th-century math formula.
An Unfussy Gable Residence in Oregon Gives One Family Room to Roam
Portland architect Solomon Berg replaces a grow house with a streamlined home for his sister’s family of six.
Is a Sustainable Suburbia Still Possible Post-Pandemic?
In 2010, Dwell took a look at four radical plans to reshape and retrofit spaces outside of our cities.
This Sun-Soaked Sydney Residence Sits on a Sandstone Ledge
Architect Emili Fox saw the cliff not as a challenge but as an opportunity to build a wellness-focused home for her family.
Before & After: Two Former Circus Performers Remodel Their Home Like a Refined Big Top
This hillside residence in Seattle tempers three-ring spectacle with the restraint of Japanese design to fix a disjointed plan.
A Seattle Home Perched High in the Treetops Transforms With Movable Walls
In The Lookout, Hybrid Architecture inverts the floor plan of a typical home to best take advantage of a sloped site.
Before & After: A TV Writer’s Chelsea Loft Is Saved From a Hodgepodge of Outdated Remodels
Through a process of subtraction, the architects were able to highlight the penthouse’s unique elements.
Before & After: A Towering Library Becomes the Beating Heart of an Architect’s Home
Rafael Santa Ana unites the disjointed floors of his Vancouver residence, adding vaulted ceilings and a commanding, double-height...
A Tiny Cor-Ten Steel Cabin Is in Perfect Sync With the Surrounding Woods
Winkelman Architecture delivers grown-up summer-camp vibes with this unassuming retreat on the coast of Maine.
Before & After: In This Portland Tudor, an Irresistibly Quirky Kitchen Steals the Show
Osmose Design enlivens a 1930s residence with eccentric, handcrafted details.
Budget Breakdown: A Couple Spent Six Weeks and $16.7K Fashioning an Airy Kitchen
Designer Brit Arnesen and her husband, Derek, imbue the space with feminine, Art Deco–inspired touches.
Before & After: A Once-Stuffy Midcentury Is Refreshed With an Airy and Artsy Renovation
The home of two influencers in Laurel Canyon now shines with abundant natural light, subtle texture, and sculptural accents.
A Portland Midcentury by Frank Shell Offers Laid-Back Living for $1M
Architect Frank Shell only designed a handful of homes—and they’re all keepers. Here’s a rare opportunity to snap one up.
An Architect Builds a Two-Family Home to Foster Young Farmers in the Hudson Valley
City dwellers with a passion for produce, Eugene Kwak and Claire Ko share their house and 16 acres with the local agricultural...
Before & After: A Loft in a Former See’s Candy Factory Gets a Tasteful Renovation
Síol Studios cracks the shell of a candy factory loft to showcase its classic character.
A Towering Tree Grows at the Heart of This Super Skinny Hanoi Home
ODDO Architects creates a spacious and airy home that’s just under 14 feet wide.
Before & After: An Eichler Swaps a Chopped-Up Layout for Connected, Colorful Spaces
Without adding square footage, Re:modern enlivens and streamlines a jumbled 1959 Eichler in Northern California.
My House: The Founders of Backdrop Paint Accentuate the Charms of Their Spanish-Style Home
Leaving New York City for the sunnier climes of Los Angeles, color connoisseurs Natalie and Caleb Ebel play up the historic...
Before & After: A Remodel Connects an Isolated Kitchen to the Rest of a Pre-War Brooklyn Apartment
Frederick Tang Architecture makes the most of the available space to simplify and streamline a jumbled pre-war apartment.
Before & After: A Philadelphia Architect Opens Up Her Historic Row House
Lauren Thomsen’s streamlined addition to a century-old house has a contemporary palette that lets the historical details shine.
Budget Breakdown: A DIY Couple Turn a Bus Into a Dreamy, Off-Grid Home for $20K
After saving up for several years, Timothy and Meryl Miller outfit a school bus for a cross-country road trip, tackling the work...
A Black-and-White Midcentury Home in a Lush Oregon Forest Asks $705K
A crisp color update helps this 1965 gem connect with its wooded site just south of Portland.
Before & After: A Timeworn Midcentury in Connecticut Gets a Moody Makeover
Interior designer Alex Fawcett uses a light touch to spruce up Casa Yamagoya, preserving its defining features to create an...
A Dynamic Home in Australia Angles for Epic Views
Perched on Mount Martha in Victoria, Three Angle House captures impressive vistas.
A Sydney Architect Deftly Revamps a 1920s Cottage to Embrace the Garden
Jeffrey Bokey-Grant gives his family’s traditional cottage an award-winning remodel that adheres to the original footprint.
Before & After: A Riverside Cabin in Oregon Gets a Blindingly Bright Renovation
Armed with white primer and an eye for stylish accessories, a Portland-based creative couple revitalize a midcentury retreat on...
Before & After: A Classic NYC Loft Ditches Its ’90s Look for Refined Minimalism
This West Chelsea loft shines with a pared-back palette of bleached walnut and exposed brick.
A Radiant Sydney Home Appears to Float Above a Sandstone Ridge
A dramatic cantilever isn’t the only striking aspect of this Sydney home—carefully framed views and an incredible outdoor shower...
Before & After: Thoughtful Tweaks Rescue an L.A. Villa From Builder Blandness
Interior designer Sarah Zachary brings charm to every room of a 1937 home with carefully selected wallpaper, vintage finds, and...
A Soulful Home in China Highlights the Owner’s Vintage Furniture Collection
For his longtime friend, designer Bob Chen creates a tranquil residence wherein every piece tells a story.
Before & After: Big Color and Pattern Give a Drab L.A. Midcentury a Major Glow Up
A multiphased makeover revived this 1963 Los Angeles home with effusive color and playful pattern.
An Adventurous Couple Build an A-Frame Cabin in the Mountains of Quebec
Available on Airbnb, La Cabin Ride & Sleep is a 256-square-foot base camp for mountain biking, hiking, skiing, and more.
Budget Breakdown: A DIY Couple Painstakingly Revive an Italianate Manse in the Berkshires for $343K
For their first-ever renovation, Nick Spain and Michael Bolognino overhaul a 4,500-square-foot former rectory—and celebrate with...
Before & After: A Buenos Aires Architect Transforms a Disjointed 1930s Home
Architect Martin Huberman returns to his childhood neighborhood to create a flexible home for his young family.
Before & After: A Disjointed Cape Cod Home Is Streamlined and Synced to Its Site
Monte French Design Studio brings much-needed sleeping space to a vacation getaway with a tower addition bridged by an elevated...
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