Natural Beauties

While the State of Israel often seems to be in a mire of conflict, the nation’s second-largest city has evolved into an oasis of creativity for some of today’s most forward-thinking designers. With European-style boulevards, state-of-the-art museums, and powdery beaches that look more like Miami than the Middle East, Tel Aviv is not only cultivating […]

New Englanders savor every second of the glorious summer weather because they know how fleeting it is. They and others from around the world eagerly pay seven- and eight-figure sums for Massachusetts homes on Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard that they’ll use for 12 weeks a year at most. Each […]

Open Wide The Brazilian architect Arthur Casas has designed several homes at São Paulo’s Baleia Beach before, but never with such limitations. Presented with a narrow strip of land and clients who wanted to maximize the views of the stunning seascape, Casas created a 6,200-square-foot villa over three levels, with oversize windows and doors that […]

Le Marche, Italy Most visitors to central Italy stay in Tuscany and Umbria, but those who prefer the road less traveled may find Le Marche more to their liking. Near the hill town of Treia, Le Marche’s Casa Olivi delivers provincial authenticity with cutting-edge style. The 300-year-old farmhouse recently underwent a four-year restoration by the […]

LOS ANGELES Gulla I Luxury Furnishings Using natural woods, bronze, soft linen, and rich leather, the architect and designer Gulla Jonsdottir has created her debut line of furniture, the Tree Collection ($1,200 to $33,500). The 12-piece series mixes organic forms and contemporary styling and includes such standouts as the Split Chair, whose back resembles a […]

Points of View When Peter Becker set about creating for a married couple this 5,800-square-foot Italian-inspired home in the affluent enclave of Montecito, the Santa Barbara–based architect had the site’s sea and mountain views in mind. “Houses in Italy from the 16th and 17th centuries looked like Swiss cheese because they had a limited number […]

From a shark lagoon at a private residence on the Red Sea to historic parterre renovations on the Côte d’Azur, the projects of the landscape architect Robert E. Truskowski are anything but garden-variety. Since he was in his early 20s nearly four decades ago, Truskowski has kept his office in Laguna Beach, Calif., and built […]

CALISTOGA, CALIFORNIA Since opening in 2004, the Auberge-managed Calistoga Ranch has garnered loyal clients who appreciate the resort’s secluded canyon location. The setting makes its guests feel at one with nature, and the San Francisco–based firm SB Architects designed both the hotel guest lodges and the residences in a modern Craftsman style that emphasizes the […]

Out of This World The dramatic terrain of Nuevo León’s Cumbres de Monterrey National Park proved irresistible for a 50-year-old entrepreneur, who bought 24 wooded acres in the park’s Chipinque nature reserve in 2003. He then commissioned the architect Mauricio Lobeira, a partner and cofounder of the firms Treceavo Plano (Nuevo León) and Ten Plus […]