Listen to our Ultimate California Mixtape below featuring each artist Some of the most famous musicians on the planet got their start in California—the Eagles, the Grateful Dead, Cher, Snoop Dogg, and Fergie, to name a modest handful. But before they were topping charts and selling out s

Designed by iHouse estudio, this compact home in Punta del Este, Uruguay, reinterprets mid-century living with a modern twist, blurring the boundary between inside and out. Raised lightly above the ground, the structure uses two bold yellow blocks to contain the kitchen, bathrooms, and storage, f

This 684-square-foot cabin in Sea Ranch, California, was originally designed in 1968 by architect Joseph Esherick. Restored by its new owners with Framestudio, the project keeps the midcentury character while adding modern updates. The three-level open plan was preserved, with a partition added

Overlooking Ames Lake near Redmond, Washington, the Scout Lake Residence now stands on a site once used as a Boy Scout camp. Designed by Stephenson Design Collective and built by Dovetail in 2021, the 3,900-square-foot house balances modern architecture with sensitivity to the protected lakeside for

Kohútka Cottage is a contemporary mountain retreat in Nový Hrozenkov, Czech Republic, designed by SENAA architekti. Inspired by traditional Wallachian log cabins, the home combines classic timber architecture with modern technologies to create energy-efficient living in harmony with its surroundings

Yama Architecture transformed two shipping containers into a fully self-sustaining off-grid cabin in Manton, California. Designed to be secure, mobile, and low-impact, the cabin is a practical solution where permanent construction was not allowed. The interiors are compact yet functional, with a

Tucked into the forests of Washington State, this 1,721-square-foot A-frame cabin by Stephenson Design Collective turns a classic alpine form into a bold modern retreat. Its sharp silhouette and standing-seam black metal roof cut a dramatic figure against the evergreens, designed to withstand heavy

The Black Gold: Stories Untold exhibit at Fort Point National Historic Site in San Francisco is haunted. Really. But that’s not an excuse to avoid the place—it’s all the more reason to go and get up close to history. “Black Californians have been central, not marginal, to our collective narrative,”

Each morning at zero-eight-hundred sharp, as Allan and Lyndsey Arendsee sip coffee on their bayfront pool deck a few houses down from the Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado, they are serenaded by “The Star-Spangled Banner” issuing forth from the base. As the last strains fade away, they sur

Designed by Love Schack Architecture, the Freja House in Whitefish, Montana, is clad in prefabricated wood panels treated with järnvitriol, a Swedish iron sulfate technique that gives the home a weathered look while ensuring durability and energy efficiency. Its pitched roof and compact form recall

Unlike many DIY tiny houses built with cost savings in mind, the FL Tiny Home was conceived as a piece of architecture. Designed as a “refined tramping lodge on wheels,” it complies with NZTA width, height, and weight regulations while remaining fully transportable. Originally planned for a section

Villa 18, designed by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, is located in Madrid’s La Moraleja district, overlooking the golf course lake. The daytime spaces occupy two staggered volumes, their shift forming a sheltered terrace that captures morning light and offers protection later in the day. A taller vol

This 538-square-foot (50 m²) house in the Netherlands is built almost entirely from glass, with both walls and ceiling designed to bring in light and frame the surrounding forest. The compact footprint,designed by GetAway Projects BV, is just 21 by 26 feet, spread across three levels: the main livin

The morning marine layer has just burned off in La Jolla. Heat pools on the pavement. Mirages shimmer off the patio stones as a leaf blower hums somewhere in the valley below. In the backyard of one quiet residential block, something strange juts up from the earth—an angular form clad in gleamin

As I walk into Cereset in Encinitas, I wonder if tonight will finally be the night I get the kind of sleep I remember from my childhood: fully knocked out, vivid dreams, pillow lines on my face. As I get situated in a La-Z-Boy chair, head tech coach Madolyn Dolce places electroencephalogram (EEG) s

Lake Cle Elum from sticklab, on the west side of the Cascades, sets the backdrop for this modern cabin in Roslyn, Washington. The 2,800-square-foot home and 800-square-foot garage occupy a slim terrace above the water, where steep slopes define the site.  The roof is engineered for deep winter snow

Perched on the east shore of Lake Garda, Villa Dellago by Jacopo Mascheroni is designed as a pavilion that blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. The home stretches parallel to the water, allowing every room to open toward sweeping lake views.  The large glazed façades and extended roof

Riba House sits in the Puembo Valley, Ecuador, on a curved corner plot shaped around a centuries-old carob tree. The tree became the guiding axis of the project, influencing both orientation and design.  With 520 m² spread across two levels, the house from TEC Taller EC, is conceived as a bar-like

Fingers crossed for another sunny weekend, but, rain or shine, there’s plenty to fill it: Lovers of live music can attend performances by the Jonas Brothers, as well as international acts like María José, Astropical, and TXC. Local soccer fans can cheer on Alex Morgan as the San Diego Wave honors h

On the edge of Lake Washington, Olson Kundig’s Pattern House stands out with its dark industrial aesthetic and glass-forward design. The two-story residence makes the most of a narrow site, with its full-height glazed facade framing panoramic views across the lake.  The telescoping and pivot glas