Making the Most of a Slope: Nevair Court, Highton, by JAM Architects

When you picture a perfect indoor/outdoor house in your dreams, it might well look like this Nevair Court family home in Highton, by JAM Architects. Overlooking Australia�s Barrabool Hills, the house is set on a steep incline overlooking the Moorabool River valley, terrain that presents its own challenges even without trying to accommodate north-facing views, outdoor living space, and a need for privacy! Nevertheless, this contemporary space has it all, from smooth modern lines to casual, neutral d�cor and no-nonsense comfort, an uncluttered style that encourages barefoot relaxation from the moment you step inside. Expansive glass is a focal point, allowing great vistas and floods of natural light; even a corner of the living room is virtually an unbroken panorama to enjoy by day or night.

Both house and landscape are structured in a series of levels, with slatted screens to provide privacy over bedrooms and baths and a fa�ade of steel-gray that seems to grow naturally out of the rough, boulder-filled terrain beneath it. In fact, rock and stone here form an elegant d�cor element all their own: witness the terraced retaining walls next to the driveway and the clever stone mailbox! Hardy, drought-resistant plants dot the hillsides and the rough surface with welcome green; more green borders the elegant pool and provides a nice edging for concrete paving stones that lead around toward an outdoor barbecue and dining area. Understated and unfussy in its approach, this home makes the most of a limited lot, tames the slope, and gives owners a terrific entertaining space with multiple options�from JAM.

Bartow Point House by Rethink Design Studio

Sit down, relax, and put your feet up; it�s no doubt the first thing that enters your mind when you see the homeowner doing just that in this traditional dwelling with deft modern touches by Rethink Design Studio. A Savannah, Georgia, family of four looked to update their riverfront home; with custom-designed furniture and clever use of the palette, Rethink has �rethought� the d�cor into fresh, clean lines and contemporary ambience. Case in point: the comfy lounge area, seen from above, is a perfect amalgam of homey traditional details and modern coloration, its walls a pearly off-white brightened by tall windows. Warm wood grain, paired with a central brick fireplace, gives the room a serene feeling that invites relaxation, while the styles of coffee table and handy fireplace �poufs� are pure contemporary fun.

 An open-plan kitchen with marble-topped table is only steps away from the couches; a cleverly angled wall nook houses a piece or two of art, shelving space, and a blackboard for a family �hub� that�s head and shoulders above the ordinary. A large center island encourages more than one cook to rub elbows in the space; the palette of off-white and charcoal carries through to drawers beneath the island and to walls of cabinetry that contribute to a beautiful uncluttered look. Touches of bright color in framed artwork and a nifty red mixer keep the palette from being bland, while clerestory windows and reflected light from the living room keep it from being too dark. A traditional remake that gives a growing family plenty of options: that�s this Bartow Point Drive home by Rethink Design Studio.

Floor-Level Windows Make for a Unique CZZ House by Vanguarda

Take a minimalist design; materials such as stone, masonry, and glass, and interesting angles and positions for windows, and you have this unique �look� in a one-story home from Vanguarda Architects. The home, made up basically of a �box,� differentiates spaces within and without by means of clever detail and floor-level glass that helps break up an unrelieved wall of stone here, affording a great backyard �bower� feel there. And, in an area where space is at a premium � note how close neighboring houses are � this solid fa�ade and that glass, give the owners a privacy they wouldn�t have with more traditional style picture windows, or even bay windows at normal levels. Ingeniously enough, the glass also serves as a connector between master suite and outside.

The front entrance is conveniently covered by an overhanging roof; enjoy the surprise of an internal courtyard, its stone patio surface holding a mini-garden of planters, and its presence a neat divider (and a source of light!) between private and public parts of the home. At the back of the house, you�ll find the heart of family gatherings and entertaining: a kitchen, living room, and dining room, illuminated both by the expanses of glass across the back, and by windows off the interior courtyard. Surrounded by climbing green, a pergola shelters the deck with its stone barbecue, a clever reiteration of the front stone wall. This wing of the home also includes guest quarters and a powder room, laundry, and a study. Simplicity itself, with simple materials: that�s CZZ house by Vanguarda.

A Johannesburg Crown Jewel of Luxury: Glass House by Nico van der Meulen

For a client desiring a �contemporary mansion� that provided an �informal lifestyle on a grand scale,� Nico van der Meulen�s design presents soaring volumes and high style. The home includes a small formal lounge with intimate conversational space, an open-plan family room, dining space for 20, and smaller breakfast room. Also part of this space are a kitchen with pantry; walk-in coolers; a lanai, bar, and indoor/outdoor pool; and a gym, billiards room, and home cinema. Smaller kids are taken care of with a splash pool, plus a playroom next to the kitchen, and finishing off this �grand scale� is parking space for 14 cars plus a staff cottage. From a water feature at its core, the house spreads out in a horseshoe, with frameless glass folding doors from dining room to atrium, family room, lanai, and gym.

Amazingly enough, with six suites, staff cottage, and indoor/outdoor living as a constant, climate control is no problem. The staircase sits over a solar-heated pond that, together with the indoor pool and heat storage tanks, helps keep the interior of the home at a constant temperature all winter. Clever use of exterior beams keeps the interiors of the master suite open, without the need for corner supports�but that�s just a technical way to explain an interior that�s airy, flowing, and lavish. Suites have privacy and seclusion without feeling �cut off� from the remainder of the home, and access between spaces is effortless. It�s safe to say that in this gleaming Glass House, the clients ticked off every item on their wish list for a home to dream of, thanks to Nico van der Meulen.