To give a two-car garage new life as a guest house, contractor Kelbe Cronen of Cronen Building Co. took care to incorporate rich, rustic elements in the updated design. “The wood barn door was built using the original ship from the garage and the existing concrete floor was ground down, sanded, and polished,” he says.

For a project in Aspen, Colorado, designer Laura Umansky paired rustic style with clean, modern lines. “We drew inspiration from the outdoors with a soft, natural color palette and pops of metal to add a modern touch,” she says. “The wood-clad walls are original to the home and add a lot of character to the interior. Our team designed custom built-in bunk beds to utilize as much space in this cabin as possible! Ute-inspired prints are seen throughout the home to add just the right amount of color and cozy mountain vibes.”

Warm wood tones and moody blues add lodge flavor to a bright farmhouse interior. “Keeping the architecture simple and clean allows the furnishings to give warmth to the inviting space,” says designer Anne Elizabeth Barbe.

In collaboration with designer Lauren J. Piskula of de[luxe] design studio, Randy Becker and the team at Becker Home Improvement created a light-drenched living space that combines the best of contemporary and rustic design. The soaring space and pure-white walls are offset with the texture of natural wood planking applied to the wall behind the sofa; the cocktail table, antlers, and even the window treatment pick up the warm natural look. The pale, neutral palette keeps the emphasis on the rich wood tones.

To give this new home a form as impressive as its mountain setting, Jamie Daugaard of Centre Sky Architecture took a distinctly streamlined approach to traditional “lodge” style. “The expression of structure—exposed steel columns and beams, large timbers, and stone—provides a sense of permanence while contrasting with the expanse of transparent glass walls that provide a connection to the outside. Muted neutral tones and rustic material forming clean lines created a mountain modern style,” he says.

Instead of outfitting the main bedroom retreat in a home with spectacular beach views in “expected” seaside style, designer Rosella Gonzalez of Jackson Design and Remodeling took a woodsier approach. “We balanced the clients’ desire for a combination of Mid-Century Modern style, natural woods, and rustic elements in a serene design that makes the incredible surroundings paramount,” she says.

To give her clients the adult “playroom” they craved, designer Karen Wolf created a luxurious lounge, complete with the rich textures of wood and a rustic horn sculpture. “The double-sided bar bridges two spaces to create an effortless flow and visual connection,” she says.

“The goal for the look and feel of this house was all about the use of materials and finishes,” say designers Adrianne Bugg and Brandeis Short of Pillar & Peacock. “Our clients wanted a clean-lined, industrial modern home with warm touches. We used reclaimed wood on the floors and the island. The island has a marble countertop to add a luxe element to the space and complement the concrete tops used on the perimeter of the kitchen. The blue tile adds a color backdrop while framing the windows and complementing the metal counter stools.”

Sharkey Custom Homes used layers of brick, stone, and tile to create a richly textured, visually engaging space for their client’s son. The effect is luxurious, but with a slightly rough edge—just right for its teenage inhabitant.

For a mountain home in California’s Sierra mountains, the designers at Staprans Design worked with local artisans on the woodwork, cabinetry, and detailing. “We wanted the library/game room to have a nod to mid-century modern, while keeping its identity as an inspired chalet mountain house,” say the designers.

“This was a great collaboration on Lake George in the Adirondacks, with an unusual alliance of a Vermont based architect and builder—Joan Heaton and Roundtree Construction, respectively—and an Adirondacks-based interior designer,” says designer Ann Stillman O’Leary. “The net result is a clean and serene lake house on a beautiful property that was once a children's summer camp. I designed the bed and it was fashioned from a single walnut slab by L Post Rustics, our nod to nature. The custom rugs are by New Moon.”

The renovation of this ski-house in Whistler, Canada started as a simple kitchen renovation but quickly blossomed into a whole-house update. Designer Robert Bailey made the most of the soaring interior volume, natural stone all the way to the wood-clad ceiling and turning wood storage into a design element. A neutral palette keeps the focus on the natural textures inside and the spectacular scenery outside the glass walls.

“While this kitchen in its pre-remodel state offered great space and good bones, the soaring ceilings were a conundrum,” says designer Kirsten Becker. “To mitigate the existing cathedral ceilings, we designed a floating ceiling in a metal frame suspended by custom rods. This added intimacy to the space and provided a solution for appropriate task and architectural lighting. The finishes were intended to be timeless with a contemporary edge and a feeling of connectivity to the neutral and native grounds on the exterior offering quintessential indoor/outdoor California living.”

“Our client for this project was looking for a "rustic modern" interior that reflects the "modern barn" exterior of this home,” says the team at Hickory Homes, LTD, which worked in collaboration with interior designer Christine DenOuden. “All the interior finishes, like the polished concrete and barn wood details, are hard wearing for this busy household full of guests, dogs and care-free cottage life.”