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1. Room With a View Gauzy curtains frame the view of this courtyard garden by Peachy Green Garden Architects outside a home in Melbourne, Australia. Although the outdoor space is a modest size, it makes a big impact in the experience of the living space. The bamboo’s lush green leaves and repetitive vertical trunks combine with simple furnishings to evoke a feeling of calm. Design idea: Limit your plant palette. Planting 10 of a single type of plant in a space rather than 10 different plants creates a more powerful, less cluttered result.

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2. Corner Office When Finne Architects renovated this 1950s contemporary home north of Seattle, the homeowners wanted to blur the lines between their 4-acre wooded parcel and the home itself. A bump-out housing the freestanding tub accomplishes the goal in a striking way. Find freestanding tubs in the Houzz Shop FINNE Architects With floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides, the tub provides an intimate connection with the lush Pacific Northwest foliage outside. Houzz Tour: Transparency Guides a Woodland Home

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Photo from Emser Tile The flooring in this room is a plank tile called Yakedo from Emser Tile that melds several trends. It’s a glazed porcelain faux-wood tile that mimics the look created by the Japanese wood-charring technique shou-sugi-ban. It debuted in late 2019 and comes in five colors.

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The western views from the dining room, living room and kitchen extend across Saratoga Passage to Whidbey Island and the Olympic Mountains. The table on the right is in the breakfast nook, off the kitchen. Wall paint: Platinum, Pratt & Lambert

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4. Lighten Up Natural light is a key component to any nature-inspired space. If at all possible, create large glass openings and leave windows uncovered to usher in more light. Skylights are a great option for more private spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms, infusing them with light while keeping views aimed at the sky. For flooring, take a cue from Scandinavian homes and try pale-hued options, such as seen here, that reflect light upward even during the winter months. “Combinations of wide-plank, matte-finish and stained white oak all contribute to enhancing light in spaces,” Allen says.

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3. Welcoming Woods Designer: Katelyn Gilmour of KBG Design Location: Los Gatos, California Size: 371 square feet (34 square meters); 26½ by 14 feet Homeowners’ request. “Our clients wanted a bright and classic white kitchen with touches of warm gray and accents of marble, brass and natural wood elements,” designer Katelyn Gilmour says. “They wanted to keep the color palette neutral so that colorful accessories could be swapped out during various holidays throughout the year.” Soft palette. White cabinets (Cool December by Dunn-Edwards Paints). Island base in a custom stain to match the light engineered wood flooring. Honed Carrara marble backsplash tile. Quartz island top that mimics Calacatta marble, with ribbons of warm gray and gold tones. Polished-brass plumbing fixtures and shelving.

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