26 Peaceful Homes That Feel Like Zen Sanctuaries
These meditative spaces were designed to de-stress.
With open floor plans that bring in natural daylight, serene colors and textures, and an emphasis on the outdoors, these projects feel like oases in the modern world.
This Beach House’s Dark Exterior Conceals its Bright, Airy Insides
The all-black exterior fades into its natural setting.
Photo by Tõnu Tunnel
The home has been designed to encourage engagement with the outdoors, with the majority of the living spaces located outside, including the dining area and kitchen. Sliding timber barn doors close off the kitchen space when it is not in use.
Photo by Casey Dunn
"The atrium is the first place you enter," says architect Ryan Leidner. "Traditionally, it’s a hardscaped area with some potted plants, but we wanted it to be more like a full garden, right in the middle of the house."
Photo: Joe Fletcher
The upper loft is an open-air platform sheltered under the roof, and offers "a peaceful vantage point" with 360-degree views of the cabin's natural setting.
Photo courtesy of Hanna Michelson
"From anywhere in the house, you have a sense of the outdoors," says Melonie, "and yet it’s very private." Ikegami agrees. "The building was really about the landscape—it can dissolve into the background," he says. In the master bedroom, Japanese Tansu chests from the couple’s previous home flank a Duxiana bed. The full-height windows and swing door are from Western Window Systems.
Photo by Joe Fletcher
In designing the space, Eva and Jamie were all about bringing the outdoors in—hence they incorporated lots of wood and reclaimed materials. The living room sofa and chair are from Article.
Photo by Margaret Austin Photography
The archways progress throughout the interior, leading residents from one room to the next. A second courtyard is situated between the kitchen/dining area and a staircase that leads to the loft. Teak flooring in the kitchen/dining area contrasts with the lime plaster walls, adding warmth to the space.
Photo by Yasunori Shimomura
A fiberglass door covers a void in the wall that holds a solar-powered water heater, a propane tank, and wood for a fire bowl.
Photo: Benjamin Rasmussen
Architects Simone Carneiro and Alexandre Skaff transformed a cramped São Paulo apartment into a mid-city refuge for Simone Santos. On the terrace, plants, vines, and pergolas form a barrier against the city’s noise and pollution.
Photo: Brian W. Ferry
"The graceful ovoid arcs through the site, and the wood deck, concrete pavers, and a custom-fabricated steel planter all curve as they meet the line," explain the designers. "The shed itself tucks into the arc by only a very specific amount, a glowing anchor point in the yard."
Photo by Andrew Giammarco Photography
The family's love of surfing was a main inspiration for the space. It is designed to be a relaxing getaway with few distractions from the sea and surrounding nature.
Photo by Yohei Nakazato
Shop the Story
The Japanese Garden
An in-depth exploration spanning 800 years of the art, essence, and enduring impact of the Japanese garden. The most comprehensive exploration of the art of the Japanese garden published to date, this book covers more than eight centuries of the history of this important genre. Author and garden designer Sophie Walker brings fresh insight to this subject, exploring the Japanese garden in detail through a series of essays and with 100 featured gardens, ranging from ancient Shinto shrines to imperial gardens and contemporary Zen designs. Leading artists, architects, and other cultural practitioners offer personal perspectives in newly commissioned essays.
ShopHuge header beams and thickened walls allow for a generous opening between the living room and deck, with doors that recess into the wall cavity and a seamless meeting between the indoor floor and the exterior decking.
Photo by October
On their wooded acre plot, the owners requested that Peña create a traditional Chilean barbecue that also could serve as a place for swimming and reflecting.
Photo by Sebastián Aguilar
Giant oak trees dominate, and offer coveted shade, in the courtyard.
Photo by Casey Dunn
Stilts elevate the new spaces, keeping them clear of flood waters while also making it possible to swim underneath the buildings.
Photo by James Brittain Photography
Sliding glass doors provide a seamless connection between the interior and outdoor spaces. Green vegetation dots the courtyard, drawing the colors of nature inward.
Photo: Rafael Gamo
Along the edge of the house, the extruded wood beams from the ceiling create a powerful connection with the surrounding landscape, while within, the beams serve as frames for tranquil views of the interior courtyard and pond.
Photo Courtesy of Fernando Guerra
Minimally separated by LaCantina walls of glass, the interior white-washed fumed oak flooring flows into the Alaskan yellow cedar deck built at the same elevation.
Photo by Matthew Millman Photography
An overall industrial feel is tempered by walls of oak cabinetry, fabricated by MOAA.
Photo: Leonardo Finotti
In the dining room, a vintage dining set belonging to the client is offset by the painted brick wall of the original house. Lowered ceilings in the eating area give it an intimacy within the larger space.
Photo by Derek Swalwell
A "watshitsu" room, which is used for meditation and tea drinking, has a fully glazed wall that looks out to the verdant trees beyond the apartment.
Photo Courtesy of Dean Cheng
The cross-axis bridge is faced with full-height glazing to overlook views of the pond.
David Sundberg / ESTO
Local building nostalgia and the majestic surrounding mountains guide Geneva architect Simon Chessex in designing a young couple’s modern dream house, built on family land.
Photo Courtesy of Alpine Modern
Fujita embraces indoor/outdoor living with high ceilings and full walls that open to the outside.
Photo by Akiyoshi Fukuzawa
From its locally quarried stone foundation to its zinc-coated copper roof, the cottage was inspired by its surroundings. "We talked a lot with our client about what the materiality would be," says architect Karen Stonely, who, citing the organic style of Bar Harbor architect Robert Patterson, designed the structure with wood rather than drywall.
Photo: Adrian Gaut
A wide roof overhang on the south side terrace provides plenty of protection from the sun. At its eastern end, a standalone bedroom offers guests extra privacy.
Photo: Andreas Buchberger
Published
Last Updated
Topics
Roundups