These restorers went to the extreme for their dream home

1. Bite from the ceiling

Frederick and Dimitri discover that a house with a garden is unsustainable in Brussels. They went looking for an innovative solution to create an outdoor space. The architects took a peek from the rooftop and designed a secret roof terrace with panoramic views of the capital.

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2. Indoor skate park in your own backyard

Do-it-yourselfers Hanne and Jeff transformed an XL shed in their backyard into a multipurpose space with a woodworking workshop, guest house, and even an indoor skate park, Jeff’s childhood dream.

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3. The doctor’s practice has become a warm home

Frederick Wallis transformed an old doctor’s office into an airy family home. The interior design is a successful combination of antique classics and contemporary design. “Our interior is an organic blend of inversions that we’ve found over the years.”

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4. From the theater to the dream house

Julie and Stefan have found an ancient theater that breathes more than a century of history. The building also housed a boxing ring, a biscuit factory, and a flower studio. It turned out to be the couple’s dream home in an urban jungle. “We have a garden view in every room. As soon as the sun comes up, the windows open wide and we live outside.”

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5. Built for the blind

He left the design entirely to the architects, a risk that turned out well for photographer Water van Vuren. To make the most of the limited floor space, they played with different sizes and levels. The result: a seven-story subdivided floor connected by a central staircase, the home’s architectural highlight.

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6. Home grown at home

Steve Barron, director of the Michael Jackson films and David Bowie, among others, bought a farm in 2016 to grow the organic cannabis plant. Hemp has many uses, but Steve wanted to build a home with it. London-based Practice Architecture, which specializes in environmental construction, has developed a barn-look carbon-neutral villa in the Cambridgeshire countryside. Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell like weed.

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