Floors and Coverings

For starters, the simple modular plan optimizes daylight and cross ventilation

Know when to splurge, where to save, and what not to do: Six case studies show you how by Paul DeGroot

Simple to make, you won't want to lay another wood floor without this handy gauge by Howard Brickman

Through the proper combination of butt and miter joints, a flooring specialist shows how he likes to raise the stakes in a new-floor installation by Howard Brickman

A design/build team delivers a custom house with copper counters, oak floors, travertine stairs, and a great outdoor space for $126 per sq. ft. by Chris Stebbins

These buffers keep out the elements while providing storage for everything from boots to backpacks by Scott Gibson

Tailored to emphasize the surrounding views, this open floor plan executed in durable materials is sheltered by insulating concrete walls by Martin McBirney

There are plenty of new options for storage and organization; you might even reclaim some parking space by Charles Bickford

Reversing a backward floor plan brings style and function to an American foursquare bathroom by Timothy Gill

Proof that a home can be more livable and more versatile without more cost by Dave Otte

Designer Fu-Tung Cheng illustrates the aesthetic potential of concrete by Fu-Tung Cheng

Small, smart, and beautiful, this kitchen makes the most of a modest addition by Deborah Kadas

Comfortable quarters for a family of five on a postage-stamp lot in Houston, but for only $70 per square foot by Carlos Ulloa

A simple palette of natural materials complements a comfortable home in a dramatic setting by Karen Tanaka