For Gabriel Ramirez and his partner Sarah Mason Williams, following the Sea Ranch rules—local covenants guide new designs—didn’t mean slipping into Sea Ranch clichés. The architects love Cor-Ten steel, with its ruddy and almost organic surface, and they made it the main exterior material, along with board-formed concrete and ipe wood. The Cor-Ten, which quickly turned an autumnal rust in the sea air, and the concrete, with its grain and crannies, mean the house isn’t a pristine box, Ramirez says. His Neutra house “was very crisp and clean,” he says. “This house is more distressed, more wabi-sabi.”

The guesthouse has similar built-ins and is outfitted with a reproduction rotating sconce by Serge Mouille and rugs by Stephanie Odegard.

A new addition to Sea Ranch’s enclave of utopian homes, this structure (and the separate guesthouse seen here) clad in rough concrete and Cor-ten steel seamlessly blends in with its half-a-century-old California neighbors. Designed by the dean of the Woodbury School of Architecture and the head of the University of Oregon’s architecture department, its spaces flow into one another underneath an angled plywood ceiling and illuminate built-in furniture crafted from vertical-grain Douglas fir.

After buying a site overlooking an inlet called Smuggler’s Cove, Gabriel Ramirez asked two architects—Norman Millar, dean of the Woodbury School of Architecture, and Judith Sheine, head of the architecture department at the University of Oregon—to design the house. Boi sconces, which David Weeks designed for Ralph Pucci, illuminate the bedroom in this Sea Ranch residence.

The living room is furnished with vintage items, including a leather-and-chrome chair by Suekichi Uchida and a stacking stool by Florence Knoll.

The house clearly displays its Sea Ranch–style touches.

At Sea Ranch, a half-century-old enclave of rugged modernist houses on the Northern California coast, a new home captures the spirit of its surroundings. The client, a couple, were guided by the Sea Ranch rules—local covenants guide new designs—didn’t mean slipping into Sea Ranch clichés. Lovers of Cor-Ten steel, with its ruddy and almost organic surface, the architects made it the main exterior material, along with board-formed concrete and ipe wood. The Cor-Ten, which quickly turned an autumnal rust in the sea air, and the concrete, with its grain and crannies, mean the house isn’t a pristine box, Ramirez says. His Neutra house "was very crisp and clean," he says. "This house is more distressed, more wabi-sabi." Together, the Cor-Ten steel and board-form concrete give the exterior a weathered look.

Benjamin Moore’s “Mountain Peak White” coats the western red cedar walls in the master bathroom, which is detailed with the same Carrara marble countertop seen in the kitchen. Waterworks tile covers the floor, and an Agape tub stands across from a vanity light fixture custom-made by the firm’s interior designer, Erin Martin.

The Sea Ranch Chapel by Hubbell and Hubbell

The owners shared Turnbull Griffin Haesloop’s dedication to green design, and agreed to modifications—like solar panels and passive heating and cooling elements—to earn the property LEED Platinum certification. The living room’s oversized fan is by Big Ass Fans. Ultra-Tec created the cable system on the stairs and guardrail.

A Joshua Tree-lined driveway leads to the remote home, nestled among historic boulders.

Olson Kundig Architects created Studhorse in Washington's remote Methow Valley as four structures oriented around a central courtyard, each positioned to best enjoy the surrounding vistas in all four seasons.

Hines House at Sea Ranch, which is set on two lots of just over one-and-a-half acres, is comprised of two separate structures which architect William Turnbull Jr. referred to as "big house, bunk house."

Norske Mikrohus tells us that demand is growing for their four turnkey tiny home models—but the company cautions against high international shipping costs.

"The lights have to be turned off by 9:30," says Rich. "It's naturally pitch black out there, it's stunning. During a full moon the whole desert is lit up and it's just incredible."

The view from Gabriel Ramirez’s property in Sea Ranch, California, where meadow grasses and cypress trees give way to craggy cliffs and the lapping Pacific Ocean. His house joins those that a cohort of forward-thinking architects built along this stretch of coast in the 1960s.

Norman Millar and Judith Sheine designed the built-ins in the living-dining area, which were made from vertical-grain Douglas fir. Vintage Dutch industrial chairs are arranged around a black walnut dining table that, like the madrone coffee table, is by Urban Hardwoods.

Completed in 2013, the roughly 1,500-square-foot cabin provides an open living area framed by white trusses and concrete floors. The dining table was acquired by the owner from a local inn, and is surrounded by the Eames molded plastic Eiffel side chairs from Design Within Reach. The kitchen features a Grohe faucet, a wood bowl from a shop in Harbert, and an Ikea vase.

From their headquarters in Austin, Texas, MA Modular provides modular homes to Louisiana and Texas, among other states. Their modern homes are typically inspired by local vernacular building types.

Concreteworks cast the custom outdoor soaking tub.

Pine was used for the exterior siding and the lower perimeter base is lined in reinforced concrete.

White plaster walls and a curved ceiling play up natural lighting, while minimalist decor and furnishings (many of which they designed themselves) make the small space feel larger.

Lassen says the biggest key for designing a small space is to keep things as minimalist as possible. “Don’t try to make anything bigger or build an addition. Just remove all bad architecture and create clean, simple rooms.”

Nestled in a celebrated midcentury neighborhood, the Riley Residence was a 1957 ranch house two doors down from Crestwood Hills, the Los Angeles cooperative development known for its collection of A. Quincy Jones masterpieces. The L-shaped floor plan on a large wooded lot was reimagined by architect Cory Buckner, who remodeled and developed an addition inspired by the nearby icons. Quirky retro charm radiates from the home with pistachio green cabinetry in the eat-in kitchen. These were complemented with some quiet complements like Blizzard countertops by Caesarstone and white tile by Ann Sacks. A nook with a tulip-style table by ModShop, a custom upholstered banquette by Johannes Interiors, and a Caboche chandelier by Foscarini accentuates the home's retro charm.

With its sloped Douglas fir ceiling, expansive glass, and elm built-ins crafted by Wolf Melian, the upstairs study resembles a Crestwood Hills classic. Case Study sofas that double as guest beds meet the client’s request for convertible space. The rug from Amadi Carpets, pillows sewn from vintage Swedish fabric, and painting by Sylvan Lionni inject red into the earthy palette.

The owners' love of Sea Ranch style inspired the architecture of their home, which surrounds a courtyard protecting three large redwoods.

The family retreat abuts a rocky cliff in Herfell, Norway. The central cabin provides communal living spaces, while the two cabins that flank it are used as private sleeping quarters.

The main house was given a contemporary look by way of a metal roof and a black exterior.

The wraparound deck boasts a view of the surroundings with shade provided by the eaves of the roof.