Melanie Maher sunbathes beneath the lattice of a pool house, which is clad in Cor-Ten steel.
Surrounded by forest and accessed via a fairy-tale bridge, the resilient forever home showcases the strength of cross-laminated timber.
In honor of their 200th anniversary, a book on 27 Brothers Grimm fairy tales accompanied by vintage illustrations from the 1820s through the 1950s. The book was edited by TASCHEN editor Noel Daniel and designed by art director Andy Disl.
Hand-turned candlesticks, planters, and serving board made from wood and cork by Oakland-based designer and maker Melanie Abrantes.
The view of Fairy Lake from the cottage.
So Melanie Maher could access the kitchen, Mikiten created a station with a KitchenAid cooktop, a refrigerator and freezer drawers from U-Line, and a Sharp drawer microwave. He also adjusted the height of the PaperStone counter to allow Melanie to roll her chair underneath.
Architect Todd Sussman and designer Melanie Ryan, creative founders of OPEN For Humans, bring their "Califloridian" sensibilities to Los Angeles, connecting to nature through the inclusion of multiple outdoor living areas. "We’ve met more people walking by as we’re in our own front garden!" shares Melanie.
Architect Erick Mikiten helped Melanie and David Maher build a house in Livermore, California.
Saul and Trysh Martinez stand in the kitchen of the 250-square-foot home they built for themselves to escape mortgage and rent payments on top of their student loans.
Melanie van der Merwe of Women Unleashed furnished the interiors with bespoke and off-the-shelf pieces.
The resulting home is overflowing with greenery—and it's the perfect place for its owner, Patricio Martinez, and his girlfriend, Nati Malamute, to unwind.
Cabin designer and builder Jacob Witzling found inspiration in his architect father and childhood fairy tales.
Taking inspiration from the fairy tale of Snow White and the seven dwarves, South Korean campground Haru consists of a "castle
Handcrafted according to centuries-old technique, Estonian company Iglucraft’s shingled saunas and cabins are straight out of a fairy tale.
Mature pothos vines drip over the banister of the loft, cascading down to the first floor. "It’s the first thing people notice," says Melanie.
The steel screen was "intended to be a framework for climbing plants and, as a result, create a filtered view—both in and out—from the oversized loft window," Melanie shares.
The 250-square foot home that Trysh and Saul Martinez built for themselves is sided with blue-painted, knotty barn wood. The entrance door, another gift, is surrounded by tongue-and-groove cedar.
"The green walls of Maze make this room more mysterious, like the secret forest with hidden doors in fairy tales," says Feifei.
Melanie Gaither Interiors selected light, beachy furnishing and finishes to match the view outside Haystack Rock Getaway. A deck outside the living room extends the connection to the ocean.
Síol Studios designed the custom lighting system and walnut-and-steel kitchen island, which was fabricated by Trojan Woodworking. A vibrant mural by Bay Area artist Jet Martinez enlivens the space, and the bar stools are from Ohio Design.
The main bathroom, with a prominently placed soaking tub, is a restorative haven within the home. "My favorite part [of the home] is the bathtub, which has a clerestory window of the downtown skyline, and another window that looks out to see the Hollywood sign in the distance," shares Melanie. The luminous space features ceramic floor tile from Ceramic Technics in Ecco Mineral Stone 2.0, Wilsonart quartz counters in Rio Upano, and a white LED sconce by StudioM. The white oak vanity was custom designed by OPEN For Humans.
Melanie Nead of Lonesome Pictopia, another Portland company, illustrated bespoke wallpaper which lines the upstairs hallways. Adorable puffins—a bird found in both Oregon and Iceland— are prominently pictured.
Protected with landscaping, the cozy ipe deck and fire pit is an inviting space Melanie and Todd frequently find themselves gravitating toward. "It essentially acts as an extension of our living room," says Todd.
In an otherwise tame Tribeca apartment designed by London-based Melanie Williams Bespoke Interiors, a splash of color in the nursery adds a fun and playful feel to the space. Gray and yellow curtains are set up to create a little theater space in the bedroom.
Elsa, designed and built by Olive Nest Tiny Homes, is a 323-square-foot tiny house, complete with a pergola-covered porch, a swing, and a greenhouse. "We wanted to soften the look and the experience and extend the living space with something useful," says designer Melanie Aho, who launched the tiny home company with her parents Mary Susan Hanson and Randy Hanson. Elsa is outfitted with cedar shiplap, standing-seam metal exterior siding, and a standing-seam metal pitched roof. "The look is simple and earthy," Aho says. "We’re of Scandinavian heritage and are drawn to Scandinavian style and design."
A custom whitewashed oak mirror, White paint by Benjamin Moore, and a lighting program by Melanie Freundlich carry the brightness throughout the loft. The Grid sofa is by Resource Furniture. The public spaces are separated from the private bedrooms by the new Sheetrock addition.
With the home’s relatively compact footprint and efficient floor plan comprising two bedrooms and two bathrooms over a single living level, smart use of space was critical. "Built-in storage everywhere [is] number one," says Melanie. A pantry and storage drawers are tucked under the stairs.
A Nash Martinez light fixture hangs over a whitewashed ash dining table by Robert Rahm of Marrow, with a Sandra Dal Poggetto artwork between the cabinets.
The kitchen peninsula, perfect for casual dining, is one of four designated eating spaces in the home, along with the formal dining room, back deck, and roof deck. Getting creative in lockdown, "we pretended they were different restaurants or cafés and would use each for different meals and coffee breaks throughout the day," says Melanie.
Located in California’s Sugar Bowl neighborhood, this shadowy lair by Mork-Ulnes Architects looks like something out of fairy tale. "We call the house Troll Hus, with a reference to the otherworldly beings in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore that are said to dwell in remote mountains," architect Casper Mork-Ulnes says.
Underneath vines hanging down from above, a dual-sided entertainment center provides partial separation of the public space. "We designed the dual functioning entertainment/bar fixture to visually separate the living and dining areas while remaining low enough to allow your eye to read the space as one continuous environment," says Melanie.
PHOTO: Katie Martinez Design
The master suite's bath includes a Sandra Dal Poggetto artwork , custom ash cabinetry from Material, a Mudd sink, a De Jong & co. stool, and a Nash Martinez hanging pendant light.
Patricia Martinez and Kazu
Sebastian Martinez, The Ideal Self Lamp
Mini Fairy Garden
54 more photos
