Mark Rylant, one of the founder of Seattle-based prefab company Method Homes.

Christopher: Olalla, Washington, is a small rural community on the Kitsap Peninsula accessible to Seattle via ferry, or a long drive through Tacoma. We're about one mile from Puget Sound, one mile from a freshwater lake and a few miles from a popular sailing harbor. We're Olympic Peninsula adjacent, and, most importantly, we are less than 45 minutes from Amy's favorite oyster farm in the Hood Canal, Hama Hama. In addition to a family of deer, dozens of birds, and hundreds of frogs, our property is also home to occasional wandering coyotes and a very strange-looking creature that Amy has convinced herself is a chupacabra. There are cougars and black bears in the area as well, but thank God we haven't eyeballed them yet. Amy: For us, the primary driver for us to move from Los Angeles and abandon our urban existence was our love of the property.

Method cofounder Eric Ryan helps us investigate the mystery of the sock-eating dryer. Though none of the machines we reviewed have pair-preservers, we discovered their many other merits in the process.

The unit will also feature a freestanding outdoor kitchen area with stainless steel cabinetry, a built-in refrigerator, and a barbecue.

Here's a look at Method Homes' Paradigm home, a small space that packs a big punch. We especially like the perforated metal awning over the deck.

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.

Amy: We were very opinionated when it came to the siding as well. Hardie board was suggested because it's so economical and we did have budget realities, but we felt it was too played out. We feel it will look very dated soon. Cedar was always a must on top, so that the house would blend into the woodland scenery and grey and weather naturally over time. We selected a dark charcoal color to coat the reverse standing seam metal by Taylor Metals. It adds some subtle contrast in texture and finish.

Amy: The original plan called out for planters on the upstairs deck areas, but we caused a few headaches by requesting greenroof areas instead. Our home's design features expansive deck spaces, so the marriage of inside and outside really creates an illusion of twice the space. Hands down, the windows are the best feature. As Chris puts it, we feel like we're outside all the time, but we're warm.

To build a home on a remote plot of land in Washington State accessible by ferry from Seattle, former Angelenos Amy Staupe and Christopher Roy commissioned Method Homes to construct a highly personalized prefab structure. "For us, the primary driver for us to move from Los Angeles and abandon our urban existence was our love of the property," Staupe says.

“I love the house more each day,” says Tamami Sylvester of her and husband Michael's home by Sebastian Mariscal in Venice, California. The kitchen, which includes all Miele appliances, is sheathed in custom woodwork from Semihandmade. Accessories from A+R complement the Caesarstone countertops and Franke faucet. A LifeSource Water System provides filtration. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

Six-inch-square blue tiles cover the walls and floor of the girls’ upstairs bathroom. The towels and rug are also by H&M Home.

"How would a kid draw a house?" architect Per Franson asked himself when designing the Olivero-Reinius family home. The simple prefab structure’s unusual color comes from a traditional source: falu rödfärg, the historic mineral paint that gives the region’s famous barns their red color.

Amy: Because winters in the Pacific Northwest are so long and dark, it was important that our interior be light and warm. Also, the spectacular scenery and wildlife is really the star, so we wanted the view out of the windows to be the main focal point. The design of our home is narrow so we can really capitalize on natural light. Chris: I really like the flow of the house. Everything from the way you can easily move through rooms, to the way light travels, to the way air flows through on warm days. The insteon-powered lighting is also one of the best decisions we made. We pre-programmed settings like "movie time" and "middle of the night baby feeding" so that we can press a button on the wall or using our mobile phones and control the entire house. The other major life saver has been the fireplace. It was something Amy really wanted, but it wasn't on our "Minimal Viable Product" list. However, when another design/structural challenge presented itself—the need to add a support beam between the dining and living open floor plan spaces—Method suggested we could integrate a fireplace to obscure the support. It's great. It adds cozy ambience, provides real heat when the power goes out, and provides slight separation between rooms without closing them off at all.

After renting in San Francisco for a decade, DIY couple Molly Fiffer and Jeff Waldman bought 10 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the pair and their friends built a cabin compound complete with sheds, tree decks, a pavilion, a wood-fired hot tub, an outhouse, and an outdoor shower. The cabin is made from locally sourced, rough-sawn redwood, which the couple stained with nontoxic Eco Wood Treatment to give the panels an aged appearance and a dark patina.

Architect Gustavo Costa calls the home library the “project’s heart.” This central space houses the owner’s expansive collection of about 5,000 books, and acts as a meeting place for friends and colleagues. A Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Red and Blue chair completes the space.

5. "What are the top 10 most important things I must have in a home?" "If there are two people buying the home, write your answers down separately, starting with your absolute must-haves," Hoffman explains. “Putting together a list separately can give both parties and the realtor a clear picture of what the perfect home will have for both of you."

An outdoor shower was the family’s first construction project. “Doing the shower made us realize we can build things the way we want to build them,” says Meg.

A view of the sauna building before the patio and seating were constructed on the other side. The log cabins were constructed by a specialist company, and another builder helped with the interior walls. Jussi-Pekka and his father did all the other building and landscaping work, apart from the electrical and plumbing—often working 12-hour days.

“We sought to create a house that would not damage the environment and not be too visible,” says architect Tina Gregorič. A single zigzagging roof stretches over 5,380 square feet, doubling the area of the interior spaces and serving as an ideal spot for sunset cocktails and whale-watching.

He worked around existing oak and eucalyptus trees for the new building, and retained the vernacular of an original barn, at right, where Frankel hosts concerts. Check out MVRDV's Balancing Barn.

If you’re traveling to Puglia in Italy, one of the most iconic sights are trulli (trullo is the singular), an ancient hut that's specific to the Itria Valley in the Apulia region of Southern Italy. Made with dry stone, trulli date back to medieval times.

The courtyard is just one of many open spaces that will be highly utilized—in the non-winter months anyway. Concrete worked well with developing the language of FlatPak. The second level is a wood panel that can be clad in corrugated metal or cedar—different layers that can be plugged in like covers on your cellphone.

The kitchen is situated in a sunken basement, underneath the staircase’s walnuts steps. The same joiner who built the house’s timber elements built the white cabinetry which are finished in a 40% gloss lacquer. Silestone countertops and integrated appliances maintain the space’s simple lines. Additional storage is fitted under the staircase.

Located on a steep site with limited suitable building ground, the firm decided to cantilever the home over the hillside, which has the effect of helping the structure blend in with the landscape.

At night, the exterior screen provides privacy when the house is illuminated.

In Montara, California, architect Michael Maltzan designed a home for, his sister and brother-in-law. From certain vantage points, the home’s unique angles result in M.C. Escher–like optical illusions.

"The building form was intentionally asymmetric and clad in hand-stained, split-face shakes and metal," says Campos Studio.

The architects inserted skylights in an artful pattern in the rooftop.

The ADU stands ready for guests—and the owners to use as a temporary home during renovations of the main house.

The Perch at sunset.

Looking back to the rear of the sauna and guest bedroom from the field. The large windows not only invite the view inside, but also reflect the landscape and allow the built forms to dissolve.

The wood-wrapped tiny home features a deck pierced by a tree trunk.

The steel structure is suspended two feet above the roof of the existing bungalow, supported by four steel columns, one of which screens utility lines running from the Perch to the house below.

A pop of red distinguishes the front door, paired with vertical cedar siding with an ebony stain, and Richlite panels and detailing.