In desirable locales from East Coast to West, these inviting homes greet visitors with front doors that provide welcoming doses of cheerful eye-catching colour.

These days, road-tripping offers a way to enjoy sightseeing again. Thanks to Canada’s wealth of architectural talent, there are standout structures from coast to coast to left the spirit and bring beauty back into the everyday.

During the global pandemic, countless industries have been impacted by the restrictions and protocols aimed at keeping the world’s citizens safe. Perhaps, no other sector has been hit as hard as travel. From business trips to family visits and luxury vacations, travel has been restricted more than ever with closed borders and flight cancellations —keeping us all closer to home. As the cold temperatures begin to break, now is the moment to step outside, hit the road and marvel at the wonders of design —in our own Canadian backyard.

Egypt is a nation celebrated for its preservation of artifacts and antiquities; however, no one museum has ever highlighted such a comprehensive collection as the Grand Egyptian Museum, or GEM, which broke ground in 2012. After numerous delays due to construction, finance, logistics, and the global pandemic, the long-awaited opening will occur this year.

These estates—in desirable locales from West Coast to East—offer multi-vehicle garages and spacious motor courts that will please any auto enthusiast, whether they prefer rare antiques, rugged muscle cars, peppy speedsters, or luxurious sedans.

Few other architects can claim to have influenced the distinctive aesthetic of Napa Valley the way Howard Backen has. The award-winning designer’s work is regularly described as subtly luxurious, elegantly rustic, and filled with a sense of intimacy, warmth, and stylish informality—all traits for which wine country is beloved the world over.

Ranging from classically elegant to crisp, clean, and minimal, these staircases are fascinating focal points that create dazzling first impressions.

Whether in the piazzas of Italy or the rushing falls of Niagara, water has the power to draw the eye and set a dramatic scene. From fountains to infinity pools to moats, water features also serve to augment our homes, and it’s the rare property that can’t be improved with the addition of aquatic art. Look to these five exceptional listings that lead by example, making the most of their grounds with architectural fixtures.

Whether the setting is steps from a beach in the Hamptons or the countryside outside Santa Fe, a vaulted ceiling has the power to transform a room into a space filled with volume, drama, and light.

From a light-filled Parisian apartment to a historic Biltmore Forest home in North Carolina, these are this month’s four featured notable propertiesfor sale over $2 million.

In March, for only the fourth time in its 43-year history, the Pritzker Architecture Prize was awarded to a woman—two women, in fact. Irish architects Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara were named the 2020 Pritzker Prize Laureates, a designation that reflects the important work being done by women across the world to bring new perspectives and boundary-defying vision to the buildings that influence our skylines.

But women in architecture are not an exception to a rule: they have been changing landscapes for decades. Farrell and McNamara are co-founders of Grafton Architects, a firm they established in 1978. Specializing in rationalist architecture styles and sustainable design, their selected works include the Universita Luigi Bocconi in Milan—named the World Building of the Year in 2008—and the Medical School at the University of Limerick. They also served as the co-curators for the 16th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia in 2018.

Circular homes make a striking statement.

These high-design residences are often one-of-a-kind, with interiors as novel as their curving facades. “When you’re buying luxury, you don’t want it to be a cookie-cutter home,” says Michael Pallier, the managing director of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty. “You want something unique. A distinctive home means something to a buyer.”

Round residences certainly qualify. They are also somewhat rare, according to Pallier, giving them a rarified vibe. He is currently representing the Oculus, an “interstellar” Sydney, Australia, home that melds an expansive circular entertaining area with a more traditionally shaped wing that encompasses the kitchen and bedrooms. The six-bedroom, five-bathroom home was by architect Frank Fox in 1961. The circular entertaining area is at the center of Fox’s design.

Neon is reinventing itself as a 21st-century art form; residential layouts are flexing their nontraditional muscles; and furnishings are flaunting their curves. Here are the latest trends in art, architecture, and design.

Inside an Architect’s Home in Greenwich | Rarely does a renowned architect decide to sell his personal residence. Richard Granoff, at the top of the field in Greenwich, and his wife, business executive Jill Granoff, renovated and expanded this timeless home, portions of which date to 1907, creating a warm modern estate that blends traditional and contemporary styles. Over the years, the more-than-6,000-square-foot residence has been featured in numerous publications, from The New York Times to Cottages & Gardens.

Artists are using their eyes to read books in a different way, architects are building residences that mirror their environments, and interior designers are rediscovering the finer points of magnificent details. Here are the latest trends in art, architecture, and design.

What’s new in Art, Architecture, and Design | Beautiful, bold, and beneficial are the catchwords this season in the worlds of art, architecture, and design. We’re decorating our bodies, building healthy environments, and brightening our rooms with rainbows of color. Here’s what’s happening.

Wide Open Spaces: 5 Homes Perfectly Positioned for Stargazing | When life gets hectic, there’s no better way to put things into perspective than by simply looking up at the stars. With light pollution in urban centers, it’s not always easy to see the night sky in all its glory, let alone make out any constellations. Luckily, these secluded properties around the world offer respite from the brilliance of city life and the opportunity to truly admire the heavens.

The Inspiration of Shohei Shigematsu | A Japan-born architect, Shohei Shigematsu is the driving force behind the design of renowned cultural venues including the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum, the Faena Arts Center in Miami Beach, and the re-imagined gallery spaces at Sotheby's NY.

Engineering the World’s Tallest Building | In this era of megatall skyscraper construction around the world, Jeddah Tower is the first that aims to exceed the previously undreamed-of one-kilometer threshold.

When it is completed in 2020, the 1,000-meter tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, designed by architect Adrian Smith, will become the world’s tallest building, easily eclipsing Burj Khalifa, the 830-meter-tall Dubai skyscraper, also designed by Smith.