Dwell March/April 2021

It’s already a cliché to say that the pandemic has accelerated changes in social norms that had been underway even before the first lockdowns. But nowhere does it ring more true than in how we share our homes. In the wake of the 2009 recession, many young adults moved home to live with one or both parents, but that's now true of more than half of Americans ages 19 through 29. A study by the Pew Research Center puts it at 52 percent, a figure unaffected by college campuses closing down and the highest since the Great Depression. While the United States is unique in its tradition of single-family living on single-family lots—with two parents and 2.5 school-age kids per household—this shift has happened to varying degrees in other parts…

Feedback Don’t the Berkshires get plenty of snow? Those minimally pitched roofs in “Full Circle” [January/February] seem like they’ll need a lot of roof raking in winter. Even if they can handle the weight, I’d be concerned about ice damming and leaks. FRED HALL, VIA DWELL.COM ARCHITECT ANDREW HEID RESPONDS: The Flower House’s roofs are designed for a snow load of 65 pounds per square foot, which is about 38 inches of wet, heavy snow or about 20 feet of dry snow. The Berkshires typically have very cold, dry snow, and the site is quite windy from the open exposures in all directions. The roofs are also sloped from 1:12 to 1:10, covered in a monolithic PVC waterproof membrane, and gutterless to enhance snow sliding, draining, or blowing off the…

Added a wood feature wall with wood pegs to hang wood bath pieces—brush, loofah, scrubbers, etc. @dmesher Separated the tub and shower. And lighting! It’s all about lighting! @joshhenrydesign Opened the courtyard to the bathroom and added an outdoor shower and cement tiles. @mizrahi.home Eucalyptus essential oil. I put a few drops down before I shower and it smells like a spa. @raghadvalani Clean lines and colors, freestanding tub, access to outdoor hot tub, heated floors. @thedemersdogs Dark, moody paint. @ac_whistler Keeping it clean and minimal and adding meditation music. @katerowekaterowe Added six jungle plants and switched to obscenely fluffy white towels. @jazzzy_ji Put the tub in the shower area and now there’s a gorgeous “wet zone.” @kjbriddell Turkish bath towels, chandelier, tub, and a zone dedicated to the bath…

Architect Giles Bruce’s south London house, built in 2019, sits at the end of a Victorian terrace that was partially destroyed during World War II. A pocket park now occupies the spot where the bombs fell, with Giles’s home filling the gap between the last house standing and the urban greenery. Named for the jagged pattern of bricks that covers most of its park-facing side, Dogtooth House, which Giles shares with his wife, Ingrid Hu, and their three-year-old son, has a single main room on each of its four stories. This makes the 13-foot-wide house feel more spacious than it appears from the outside, but the plan does have its drawbacks. “Living in a tall house with one room per floor means that you need a very good memory,” says…

HOW TO Kit Out Your Tiny Kitchen According to Kate Oliver, cofounder of The Modern Caravan and Airstream renovator extraordinaire It’s really important to think about how you cook. Are you a messy or clean cook? There’s a common misconception that we’ll change our behavior when we live in a tiny space, but it’s just not true—so create a design that reflects how you live now. And do not underestimate prep space. One thing I’ve noticed about poorly designed kitchens is inadequate prep space. Take things vertical as much as possible to get things off the counter. Something I really like is a tall and skinny pantry—about 15 inches wide—with 25-inch-deep, full-extension drawers. It’s a little bit of a luxury, but it’s also very practical to see everything you have…

HOW TO Glam Up Your “Getting-Ready” Space According to Babba Rivera, marketing phenom and founder of hair-care brand Ceremonia I feel like the products are what should shine in a beauty space. I don’t think you need a designated vanity with a chair. When I think about how I live my life, I do my morning and night beauty rituals when I wash my face and brush my teeth, so it makes sense in a bathroom setting. I like bathrooms to feel very tidy and clean. The bathroom design is there to support the products. I can’t stress enough the importance of organization. If you have drawers in your bathroom, there’s so much you can do. Dividers or plexiglass boxes inside them go a long way toward organizing beauty products.…