Los Angeles's downtown has seen a rebirth recently thanks in part to a host of design-forward businesses opening their doors.

Austere, a concept store touting Scandinavian design at every scale, opened in 2014 in Los Angeles.

The design accommodates a grand oak tree and hides a backyard oasis behind an austere facade.

From the whimsical to the austerely beautiful, the contenders in this year’s Dwell Design Awards are singular sanctuaries.

Desai Chia Architecture draws upon rural architecture to create an austere retreat that frames spectacular vistas.

Fredrik Carlström, the founder of Scandinavian design hub Austere, reveals the products and gifts he cherishes most.

The high-end Toronto towers are jagged and austere, and supposedly were inspired by Williams’ song “Gust of Wind”—the impression...

This voluminous cabin in Austin, Quebec, has a sharply pitched roof and a bright and lofty interior that’s a surprising contrast...

To create a more intimate setting, a 2,200-square-foot home is comprised of smaller cabin-like spaces.

Known as The Hastings Residence, this midcentury home pays homage to the Googie design style its architects are famous for.

Anchored to a rocky site on the shores of Lake Memphremagog, a granite home sports a long, sleek roof.

Japanese-style joinery means that The Bed by Thuma can be set up in a flash.

The attic apartment in St. Petersburg features a partial loft built into the French-style mansard roof.

Compact and light on the earth, this 840-square-foot home subtly camouflages into its forested surroundings.

Minimalism is taken to the max when architect Eric Logan rebuilds his family cabin on a Wyoming mountainside.

Crafted as a “humanized cave,” a contemporary concrete home in Leiria combines live, work, and play for a young family.

Drawing inspiration from a galaxy far, far away, Yeezy is building affordable prefabs that emulate Luke Skywalker's childhood...

Thanks to a careful renovation that included a handful of preservation challenges, a family's Spanish beach house is given new...

Tucson-based Dust Architects returns to Texas to design a compact stand-alone for a home in the Chihuahuan Desert.

In Valle de Bravo, Mexico, Francisco Pardo Arquitectos designs a brutalist bunker that disappears into the landscape.

Having roommates is no longer solely reserved for younger generations.

The timber-framed, loft-like interior of this unassuming Marina del Rey home gets a fresh new look, years after Adam Levine spent...

A couple draw from the surf shack aesthetic to create a holiday home in Camber.

Generations of family have lived on this wooded, waterfront site, where architect Will Randolph has built a weekend getaway for...

Architect Aya Maceda designs a finely tuned space for a New England family to shelter cars, storage, and overnight guests.

In Vaucluse, where he spent his childhood summers, architect Timothee Mercier converts a dilapidated farmhouse into a minimalist...

Up-and-coming Argentinian architect Florencia Rissotti’s first built-from-scratch residence is an homage to simple living.

In an increasingly digitized world, the handmade charm of Berber rugs injects much-needed tactility into home interiors.

Bob Butler drew lessons from the legendary Case Study House program to design his cost-effective residence in Nashville.

Though it's usually thought that bright colors make the boldest statement, these homes prove that black, white, and gray tones...

A jewel-like home rises on a six-acre site in rural New York.

A furniture maker and a textile designer remodel a building from the 13th century.

Tasked with designing a celeb-worthy Malibu abode in six weeks for a new television series on E!, production designer Daniel...

Perched on Melbourne’s bayside beachfront, this family home by Rachcoff Vella Architecture celebrates a robust and raw material...

If any homes could conjure the Halloween spirit, it would be these all-black haunts.