Casa Petra is a retreat in Ceglie Messapica, Italy, designed by Alessia Angelini. It combines local architecture with contemporary design, featuring three renovated lamie and minimalist interiors. The retreat includes a raised terrace with a pool, outdoor kitchen, and Mediterranean garden, providing space for relaxation amidst a vineyard and olive grove.

The Studio Gamp! team combined two separate Civitavecchia apartments into this 160-square-metre dwelling, characterised by flowing wooden partitions. Designed in 2020, Casa Darsena features curved walls that echo the exterior lines of the 1990s building, creating a flexible layout and enhancing natural light. A key design element is a vertical oak screen that embraces the living area and transitions into a glazed, pivoting door leading to a home office, promoting interaction and connection throughout the space.

NEW HOW architects designed a modern retreat in Hrubá Skála, Czech Republic, harmonizing with the Bohemian Paradise landscape. Completed in 2023, the weekend house balances traditional and contemporary elements. Set on a south-sloping plot, it mirrors the local architecture, offering panoramic views framed by the medieval Trosky castle ruins.

Atelier Hajný renovated Skylight Hut in Sázava, Czech Republic, creating an escape for a Prague-based couple. Designed in 2024, the retreat features an asymmetrical roof finished with skylights to maintain a low profile, respecting zoning regulations and neighbors’ views.

Résidence des Sables, a single-family house by Agence Spatiale, overlooks Lake Saint-Joseph in Quebec, Canada. Designed in 2022, this H-shaped dwelling integrates with its wooded surroundings, featuring generous fenestration for constant nature contact. The upper floor includes living spaces that open onto rooftop terraces, blending warm interiors with the exterior. The house aims to root itself in the site while providing diverse views and privacy for its inhabitants.

The Idea House designed by JHL Design in Lake Oswego, United States, is a family retreat with expansive windows and concrete floors, designed in 2008. Nestled in the trees of southwest Portland, the home blends modern design with natural surroundings, featuring concrete flooring and plywood walls for warmth and grounding.

Francois Hannes and Tom Kneepkens undertook a highly refined renovation project of a Dutch Villa S2, harmoniously merging retro design with modern luxury. The architects drew inspiration from ’50s and ’60s design, creating a cinematic space with a strong character. Features include Geopietra stone cladding, wenge wood, steel, and luxury marble. The design emphasizes seamless integration between indoor and outdoor spaces, resulting in an atmosphere of timeless elegance and grand ambiance.

In a mountainous region in Spain, local studio Ábaton converted a labour house into a contemporary cottage that overlooks a nearby forest. Designed in 2024, Cottage in La Vera features traditional architecture and materials but with a modern twist. Dubbed a “non-intervention” in the territory by the studio, the renovation was intended to respect the existing building, using local materials from the land and old surrounding structures.