You Enter This Brazil Retreat Through Its Mountain Bike Workshop

An empty nester couple cared less about having space to host than a home that would support their hobbies.

Houses We Love: Every day we feature a remarkable space submitted by our community of architects, designers, builders, and homeowners. Have one to share? Post it here.

Project Details:

Location: São Paulo, Brazil

Architect: Estúdio HAA! / @estudiohaarquitetura

Footprint: 11,636 square feet

Structural Engineer: Miqueletto Engenharia

Landscape Design: Jair Pinheiro Paisagismo

Lighting Design: LabLuz

Photographer: Pedro Kok / @kokpedro

From the Architect: "This project began with long conversations with the clients: a middle-aged couple whose children have grown and left home. They weren’t looking for a typical countryside house designed to host groups of guests. Instead, they asked for a true refuge—a place designed around their own habits, rituals, and pleasures. Not a house built for special occasions, but a home that supports the everyday moments that matter most to them.

"Weekends at Refúgio Mirzé start early with mountain bike rides through the mountainous region, one of the reasons the couple chose this particular plot of land. Afternoons are spent opening a cold beer, cooking a late lunch, and simply being present: watching the sunset from the porch, listening to the sounds of the forest, reading a book, or falling asleep to the sounds of the Atlantic rainforest.

"The first space one encounters in the house is not a traditional living room, but a fully equipped bike workshop. Every square foot of this home was intentionally designed for daily use, with no excess and no underutilized rooms. We carefully studied the psychological scale of comfort for the couple, ensuring the home would never feel empty, nor cramped, but always intimate and just right.

"The landscape itself—lush, vibrant, and ever-changing—is the home’s most powerful element. On one side, tall Atlantic forest trees filter dappled light into the interior; on the other, a dense and humid forest envelops the house in its natural sounds.

"The facade features a ventilated system made of black slate panels and ebonized reforested wood, which, combined with double-insulated glazing, provides thermal stability and ensures indoor comfort throughout the seasons."

Photo: Pedro Kok

Photo: Pedro Kok

Photo: Pedro Kok

See the full story on Dwell.com: You Enter This Brazil Retreat Through Its Mountain Bike Workshop

For $1.3M, You Can Scoop Up a Mint-Condition Bay Area Eichler

The 1965 post-and-beam home has blue-green accents, refreshed interior finishes, and a sunny central courtyard.

Location: 4024 Salem St, Concord, California

Price: $1,275,000

Year Built: 1965

Architects: Claude Oakland and Kinji Imada

Developer: Joseph Eichler

Renovation Date: 2026

Footprint: 1,811 square feet (4 bedrooms, 2 baths)

Lot Size: 0.17 Acres

From the Agent: "This is a beautiful Eichler located in charming Rancho de los Santos, thoughtfully refreshed with authentic midcentury details and modern upgrades. Inside, enjoy seamless indoor/outdoor living and classic post-and-beam architecture that Eichlers are renowned for. This midcentury gem offers versatility with four bedrooms plus a bonus laundry/office space. Ideally located near BART, major freeways, and all of life’s necessities, this move-in-ready Eichler is ready to welcome its next owners."

Photo courtesy of Theresa Lee Real Estate

The home has been held by the same family for 47 years.

Photo courtesy of Theresa Lee Real Estate

Photo courtesy of Theresa Lee Real Estate

See the full story on Dwell.com: For $1.3M, You Can Scoop Up a Mint-Condition Bay Area Eichler
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Live Like Royalty in This Palatial Montevideo Mansion Seeking $2.9M

Built in 1898, the sprawling Palacio Delucchi combines belle époque details with opulent Italianate decor.

Location: Montevideo, Uruguay

Price: $2,900,000 USD

Year Built: 1898

Architect: 

Footprint: 26,490 square feet (8 bedrooms, 4.5 baths)

From the Agent: "Erected in 1898, Palacio Delucchi embodies the fusion of Italianate decorative splendor and the opulence of Uruguay’s belle époque. Nestled in the heart of Montevideo, steps from Plaza Cagancha, this urban mansion has impeccably preserved original interiors. Shielded behind a neoclassical facade, the property remained in the hands of one family for over a century and lay dormant in recent decades. Venetian stucco walls, a monumental Carrara marble staircase, hand-carved boiseries, and cedarwood joinery bear witness to an untouched legacy of exquisite craftsmanship. On the piano nobile, highlights include a grand reception salon with original moldings, a library clad in fine wood paneling, and a stately formal dining room—all orbiting a central winter garden bathed in light from an expansive skylight. Four bedrooms, including a principal suite with a bath adorned by French Sarreguemines tiles, are complemented by a sprawling rooftop terrace of immense potential. The ground floor houses three commercial spaces, generating permanent rental income and ensuring the entire complex is financially self-sufficient."

Built in 1898, the sprawling Palacio Delucchi combines belle époque details with opulent Italianate decor.

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's International Realty

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's International Realty

One of the most striking features is a grand staircase carved in Carrara marble.

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's International Realty

See the full story on Dwell.com: Live Like Royalty in This Palatial Montevideo Mansion Seeking $2.9M
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Before & After: How Two Brothers Turned a Cavernous Candy Factory Loft Into a Sweet Pad

"We loved the place because it was big and open, but it’s not very livable to have complete open space," says Sean. "There was no door to the bathroom; it was just open, too."

When Scott and Sean Meyer, two brothers who are both software engineers, set out to buy a Denver condo together in early 2020, they had clear criteria in mind. For starters, they wanted to be able to walk to work and other amenities in minutes, due to the local climate. "We set a boundary based on how long a comfortable walk is in snowy weather," says Scott. (Under 20 minutes was ideal.)

They also wanted three bedrooms—one for each of them, and an extra for visiting friends or family. "Since we’re two brothers living together, we didn’t want one person to have a significantly nicer bedroom than the other," adds Sean. They were relocating from the outskirts of the city to a downtown building, and there were things from the suburbs that they didn’t want to give up: "Like being able to bring a muddy bike inside without having to go through a super nice lobby," says Sean.

They ended up finding a 2,150-square-foot one-bedroom loft in a converted candy factory in the LoDo (Lower Downtown) neighborhood. Built in 1909, it was once home to the Brecht Chocolate and Candies company, before it was converted into lofts into the 1990s. Their commute by foot would be about five minutes, and it even had its own street entrance and interior access to a parking garage for bike storage.

The only problem? It was open—very open. There was a single lofted bedroom in the mezzanine overlooking the living space below, and there was no door to the bathroom. "It was just open, too," says Sean. 

Before: Entrance 

Before: The front door of this Denver loft opened to the kitchen, which was set on an elevated platform. The clients and the team at Helios Design Group wanted to make the kitchen the same level as the rest of the living areas.

Courtesy of Helios Design Group

After: Entrance 

Interior designer Ariel Roth kept the entry elevated and added a coat closet and half wall, which caps the kitchen on the other side.

Dane Cronin

After: Kitchen 

In the kitchen, Unfold pendants by Muuto hang above a Silestone countertop and Svelti stools by Article.

Dane Cronin

See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: How Two Brothers Turned a Cavernous Candy Factory Loft Into a Sweet Pad
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Pink Slime Drips Around Windows at This Renovated Chicago Bungalow. And It Only Gets Weirder

Inspired by Chicago Imagist painters, the updated home holds surreal surprises at every turn.

Houses We Love: Every day we feature a remarkable space submitted by our community of architects, designers, builders, and homeowners. Have one to share? Post it here.

Project Details:

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Architect: Orders Architecture and Design / @ordersarchitecture

Footprint: 1,455 square feet

Photographer: Sarah Crowley / @sarahecrowley

Photographer: Michael Vallera

From the Architect: "Ten Portals is the transformation of a Chicago bungalow into a bright contemporary live/work space full of unexpected details. Throughout, a series of openings, or portals, create new lines of sight, afford useful new spaces, and bring natural light deeper into the home. The renovation also smuggles art historical reference into an iconic Chicago housing type. In dialogue with works by Chicago Imagist painters, window millwork drips, color palettes veer from the norm, pattern enlivens all portals into a different sensibility for an old house.

"Upon entering the house, visitors sit below an arched opening and remove shoes at a custom stool; Dots was designed by Orders and fabricated by bnf studio. The opening, which looks into the living room, was part of the house’s original 1928 design, but was covered up in the intervening decades. Orders brings it back for a bright and open entry experience. The stair risers are clad in mirror, bouncing more light into the space.

"The kitchen layout is reorganized for modern convenience. The original design had a large pantry, but no space for a refrigerator. The renovation opens the pantry and neatly tucks the fridge around the corner. New custom window surrounds, designed by Orders and fabricated by Navillus Woodworks, add a surreal character. A new circular portal, inspired by the work of Philip Hanson, connects the kitchen and office/guest room. When open, this brings natural light into the room. When closed, it serves as a clock on one side, mirror on the other. The room also features a Murphy bed that doubles as shelving when stowed.

"The guest bath is updated for functionality: new fixtures, mechanical ventilation, and all new finishes. Simultaneously, it was an opportunity for play of color and pattern, taking cues from paintings by Barbara Rossi. The drop ceiling glows with unique fluted panels and custom painted T-bar.

"The primary bathroom required a complete overhaul. A new rounded sink eases tight corners. Matte black plumbing fixtures, teal tile, and beige and yellow accents all pick up on a palette from the paintings of Roger Brown. Despite the room’s tight footprint, a deep tub and clever storage solutions make it comfortable and functional.

"One bedroom has been converted into the writer’s studio. The walls and furniture (including a custom desk designed and built by Orders) are all painted a rich blue, simultaneously calming and stimulating."

Photo by Michael Vallera

Photo by Sarah Crowley

Photo by Sarah Crowley

See the full story on Dwell.com: Pink Slime Drips Around Windows at This Renovated Chicago Bungalow. And It Only Gets Weirder
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Anyone Can Now Buy an Eames House—Sort Of

A new kit of officially produced parts lets you build structures in the style of Ray and Charles Eames starting at $325 a square foot.

Case Study Home No. 8, the 1949 Pacific Palisades home of designers Ray and Charles Eames, emerged from brainstorms around adaptability and industrial design, with a name as bland as the term "manufactured parts" suggests. The couple’s first vision for the hilly lot, purchased from Arts & Architecture magazine owner John Entenza, was a dramatic, cantilevering glass-and-steel, Eero Saarinen design. But it would get shelved in part due to postwar material shortages. Its replacement, erected via a series of grid-like, deceptively simple steel-framed panels, has since become a world-renowned museum and midcentury mecca.

But this singularity, a physical shrine to the couple’s vision, is better considered a system, a model that the couple would famously revisit and rework throughout their lifetime. (The couple did design a modular home for production, though one was never built.) "For them, architecture was not limited to the buildings you make," says Eames Demetrios, grandson of the couple and current director of the Eames Office. "It includes the systems you make to make things happen."

Now, Ray and Charles’s prefab visions can be the basis for your own project. In partnership with Barcelona-based manufacturer Kettal, the Eames Office has developed the Eames Pavilion System, a modular building kit of parts with a wide range of proposed uses, including a recording studio, backyard office, your own Case Study cabana, or, with some retrofitting, a "fully equipped two-story house." Made of aluminum structural modules, the system, which starts at around $325 a square foot, includes interchangeable roof types, windows, textiles, and other accessories that reference those of the iconic Pacific Palisades property and other Eames residential projects.

Announcement of the plans for Case Study Houses Nos. 8 and 9 in Arts & Architecture, December 1945 (left); An early 1950s photograph of the Eames House, initially intended for the film House: After Five Years of Living (right).

© Eames Office, LLC. All rights reserved.

Charles and Ray in the Eames House living room, 1958.

© Eames Office, LLC. All rights reserved.

Ray’s paper collages explore compositions of materials, colors, and graphic patterns of the Eames House, 1948 (left); Concept study of possible pavilion sizes and typologies, 2024 (right).

© Eames Office, LLC. All rights reserved.

See the full story on Dwell.com: Anyone Can Now Buy an Eames House—Sort Of

Breuer’s Cape Cod House Gets a Second Wind—and Everything Else You Need to Know About This Week

Samsung customers bristle at fridge ads, the AIA sues Trump over J.F.K. Center renovation plans, and more.

• For a time, the future of Marcel Breuer’s experimental Cape Cod retreat—a lean, timber-frame Long House he built for under $5,000 in 1949—was uncertain. But now it’s been carefully restored by the Cape Cod Modern House Trust after years of decay, and has opened to the public for short rentals and tours and will be home to an artist residency program in the fall. (Architectural Digest)

• A San Francisco firefighter just launched a petition to rename Cesar Chavez Street in Los Angeles after Chuck Norris, the actor and public figure, as sexual abuse allegations against Chavez prompt broader efforts to reconsider the labor activist’s legacy. (San Francisco Chronicle)

• A sweeping federal housing bill aiming to boost housing supply passed this month but now has a provision aimed at institutional investors. It would force large landlords to sell newly built single-family rentals after a period, ultimately impacting what kinds homes get built, and who does or does not get to live in them. (The New York Times)

A new bill could reshape the future of access to single-family homes.

Photo by Kevin Carter / Getty Images

• Samsung is testing ads on its Family Hub smart fridges, and many owners—who say they did not consent to their fridges displaying ads—aren’t happy about it. The pilot program turns once private kitchen screens, often used for recipes or playing music, into marketing spaces, raising questions about whether advertising should follow us home. (The Wall Street Journal)

• A coalition of major preservation groups, including the American Institute of Architects, is suing Donald Trump to halt proposed renovations to the John F. Kennedy Center, arguing the plans bypass required federal review. Here’s how national design and preservation bodies are coming together to defend the modernist landmark from change. (Dezeen)

Top photo courtesy Peter McMahon