CATEGORIES

Beauty at the Beach

A newly built cottage's design flows as naturally as the waves in the ocean.

The Road to Butterfly Beach

A designer and his family put down roots in idyllic Montecito, California,

Sweet Relief

OUR LIVES LITERALLY REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN, BUT NEVER MORE THAN ON BALMY DAYS THAT beg for a dip in the pool or a round of lawn games. Just as essential as getting outside is having a shaded place of refuge from the heat-call it a pool house, pavilion, or cabana. The goal, says architect Stan Dixon, should be to "design a space that feels enclosed yet is full of light." Screens, slats, big windows, and canopies allow a breeze to drift through and may offer some UV protection, but they won't encumber a view of the action. (Ideal for, say, parents taking a time-out while their kids play!) Flip through these designer-approved ideas for poolside living, and picture yourself reclining with a good book and a canapé. -Hadley Mendelsohn and Amanda Sims Clifford

PLAY IT AGAIN

This North Carolina beach house has all of the groove of a 70s classic—without any of the cliché.

The Garden Magician

Your vegetable garden should be an extension of your home, says writer and principal designer at Damour Drake, Maryline Damour. Here's how to make it an outdoor dining area, larder, or living space.

The Lazy Homeowner's Guide to LIVING GREEN

It's shockingly easy to make your home radically more earth-friendly, says editor in chief of Business of Home Kaitlin Petersen. All it requires is creative thinking and a little commitment.

The House next Door

When a 1920s Spanish Colonial with tons of outdoor space suddenly went on the market, the neighbors across the street saw the light.

SECOND CHANCES

This Santa Monica Mountain home managed to survive two tragedies abandonment and fire-only to emerge more beautiful than ever.

Open Calm and ALIGNED WITH NATURE

Every tiny detail—including its interaction with the lush surroundings— was painstakingly considered in this serene Hamptons retreat.

An INVITATION to PARADISE

A thoughtful Hawaiian vacation home where everything—friends, family, and even the lush surroundings—are welcome inside.

Earthly Delights

A 1930s cottage is designed to embrace nature, heritage, and the occasional 30-person dinner party.

The Dream Is On

An all-star team creates a bayside home where art, design, and landscape are perfectly aligned.

THIS IS PARK AVENUE

Ashe Leandro brings downtown cool all the way uptown.

The Words Will Come to Me

A novelist on deadline seeks solitude in a vacation rental but finds she can't keep it all to herself for long.

PERFECT CIRCLE

Ishka Designs bridges history and heritage to forge a harmonious Brooklyn brownstone.

New Age d'Or

Ascendant French design star Hugo Toro's youthful exuberance adds high drama to a Paris pied-à-terre.

HERE SHE GROWS

An Ivy League-trained lawyer pivots to garden designs that feed the eye and nourish the soul.

Balancing novelty and understated luxury is key to what les vacances mean now.

Designer Luc Berger is a soft-spoken 30-something with an unassuming demeanor that belies his accomplishments: We are, after all, taking coffee at Le Meurice, a hotel that is at least partly his own design.

Bom Dia, Bonita!

On Portugal's Comporta coast, Jacques Grange fashions a relaxed getaway for his effervescent friend Florence Grinda.

Arcadian Rhythms

For Thomas Woltz, a visionary architect of public landscapes, home is a Queen Anne in Virginia with an intimate garden of his own making.

A Bigger Splash

These days, having a pool should be as much about artful personal expression as keeping cool.

The Art of the Craft

Cortney Bishop fills the interiors of a Kiswah Island home with fresh, artisanmade furniture and wallpaper patterns pulled from the past.

SIMPLE AND SERENE

WHERE THE BUILT AND NATURAL WORLD INTERSECT, A MODERN MARTHA'S VINEYARD HOME RESPONDS TO ITS ENVIRONMENT.

JUST BREATHE

A MIX OF SILHOUETTES IN A MEDLEY OF WARM WHITES MAKES FOR A BEACH HOUSE INTERIOR THAT'S SUPREMELY PEACEFUL BUT FAR FROM PLAIN.

PAVILION PARADISE

AMANYARA OFFERS A LUXURY GETAWAY ON TURKS AND CAICOS.

GREEN WITH ENVY

An accomplished landscape architect transforms a once-giant rock ledge with grass and designs her own functional and comfortable backyard refuge in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Q&A WITH HAMPTONS REAL ESTATE JUGGERNAUT TIM DAVIS

THE CORCORAN BROKER WHO’S SOLD SOME OF THE TOP PROPERTIES IN THE COUNTRY.

Home SWEET Home

Ferguson & Shamamian Architects designs an inspired farmhouse with spectacular Atlantic views in East Hampton.

DOUBLE VISION

ARCHITECTURE FIRM RUHL | JAHNES MAKES OVER A CONTEMPORARY ON THE SOUTH SHORE OF MASSACHUSETTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VIEWS OF THE OCEAN AND SUNSETS OVER THE POND.

ALL IN THE Family

A tradition of enjoying each other's company falls to the next generation, in a comfortable new house with good bones and a kind heart.