Dwell

Dwell is the unique modern architecture and design magazine for people who believe that good design is an integral part of real life. Get Dwell digital magazine subscription today.

A Bigger Splash

Dwell

contributors

comments

Rain Chains • We see them on all kinds of homes guiding water off roofs, but are the downspout alternatives up to the task? Here, our Instagram followers and a couple of Dwell staffers balance beauty with practicality when deciding whether rain chains are worth their weight.

The Seeds of CSAs • Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs boomed during the Covid pandemic as city dwellers and suburbanites across the country found themselves avoiding grocery stores and restaurants and spending a lot more time cooking at home, as well as looking for ways to support struggling small businesses, including local farms. For an average annual fee of $400 to $700 per year, consumers buy “shares” from local farms in exchange for boxes of fresh produce throughout a given season. Those boxes run the gamut, offering everything from vegetables, meat, dairy, and flowers to wine and even gelato. But the concept is hardly new: Let’s turn our attention to the radical history of CSAs.

Summer Movie Style

How Stella Got Her Groove Back

Wet Hot American Summer

Something’s Gotta Give

Blue Crush

On the Dock of the Bay • For visionary Stewart Brand and nonprofit founder Ryan Phelan, home is a vintage tugboat named Mirene.

A Fantastic Voyage

Full Bloom • Three families took very different approaches to their backyards, playing with materials, layouts, and plantings to create spaces that are just right for them. Whether you’re dreaming of a lush escape, a tidy desert garden, or a groovy poolside patio, you’ll find some inspiration here to help your ideas blossom.

1 Cool Ranch • Designer Jared Frank turns a neglected backyard in the San Fernando Valley into a colorful oasis.

2 Gone to Beds • Central Texas, a drought-resistant yard thrives through brutal summers.

Southern (California) Hospitality • A small L.A. home by Richard Neutra was short on space for entertaining. Its owner found some in the backyard.

Open Spaces • How taking control of empty lots allowed communities across the United States to help out their neighborhoods.

FORCE OF NATURE • In tropical Singapore, a radically open home—without air-conditioning—connects a couple with plant life at every turn.

The Case for Patience • In Nairobi, a delayed—and delayed again—DIY renovation pays off with a refreshingly open addition.

Rural Reset • A historic fixer-upper in the countryside near Buenos Aires offers a slower pace of life—and lots of outdoor space.

We’ll Never Climb Down From the Tree House • We may be more obsessed than ever with structures that refuse to grow up—even as their foundations become increasingly threatened.

Wild Greens • A kitchen expansion creates a lively and sustainable space for a Portland, Oregon, family.

modern market

sourcing • Explore the products, furniture, architects, designers, and builders featured in this issue.

one last thing