Blending sustainability with stylish design, these four distinctive homes prove that reducing a home’s carbon footprint doesn’t mean sacrificing luxury.

There’s nothing like walking into a stunning hotel room. This moment is where both big and small vacations begin. Hotel rooms provide just the right mix of things you want and things you need. They usually include a good bed, luxurious sheets and blankets, tasteful decorations and a few indulgences.

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.

As more people become increasingly aware of the effects of our energy consumption on climate change, homeowners are choosing to adopt more sustainable design solutions. Creating a welcoming, stylish home is now as much about putting thoughtful care into responsibly sourced furnishings as it is about picking pieces that suit you and your family’s needs. Conscientious, sustainable interior design is all about balancing these impulses—it’s about making smart choices for the environment without having to sacrifice beauty or function.

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.

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.

Modern Takes on Marble | In the world of interiors, no material exudes elegance quite like marble. Prized for its varied colorways and unique veining, marble elevates an interior to luxury status. It’s no wonder the natural stone has graced the palaces and temples of kings and emperors for centuries. “Marble has been used in the most noble homes for flooring and decoration since the beginning of time, and using it in any interior perpetuates this legacy,” says Rome-based architect and designer Achille Salvagni. “Because there are so many types of marble, it is an easy way to play with color and pattern.”

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.

Restoration Hardware’s Evolution to Design Studio | Restoration Hardware is in the business of selling furniture, but these days, the retail experience is more than just buying products. It’s becoming an entire lifestyle.

In 2016, the brand launched RH Interior Design as well as the interactive RH Design Ateliers across all their retail stores. So not only can consumers come to Restoration Hardware to fill their homes, but they can also rely on internal interior designers—and even bring their own architects and designers to RH workspaces—to give their spaces a point of view and sense of style.

Modern Edge | Kaly Ryan and Bram Sawatzky of Willow & Stump Design Co., have been cleverly marrying form and function since 2014 — all with an ethos of sustainability. Their multidisciplinary studio in East Vancouver has garnered national attention, thanks to the duo’s steam-bending and 3D fabrication techniques, seen on smart, stylish items like the canoe-inspired Fluyt bench that doubles as a storage unit, and the Corian chair, which incorporates thermoformed curves and complex patterns carved into the seat and back.

How to Downsize in Toronto’s Luxury Real Estate Market | When you’re used to space, the thought of downsizing can be a challenging one. Isn’t bigger better? Is your family going to be constantly underfoot? Where will you host your guests? But taking a step towards a smaller footprint can offer benefits: smaller homes are often easier to maintain, more environmentally friendly, and can suit a lifestyle of travel and multiple pursuits. If you’re thinking about taking the downsizing leap, here are a few points to consider.

Charging the Future | To car aficionados, Michael Mauer is more prolific than any architect. Millions of examples of his work are on display all over the world. You might even be lucky enough to have one in your garage. His hobby of drawing cars in his youth eventually led Mauer to do it professionally in 1986 — and for some major international automakers.

Architecture With A Personal Touch | Since joining the Office of Metropolitan Architects—founded by Rem Koolhaas—in 1998, Shohei Shigematsu has designed cultural venues including the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum and the Faena Arts Center in Miami Beach. He has also worked on collaborations with artists such as China’s Cai Guo Qiang, Marina Abramovic, and Kanye West.

Brutalism Evolves | Stark and unadorned, Brutalist architecture is a touchstone of postmodernism. And although the style has detractors, it’s getting a lot of attention from modern audiences.

Social-media apps like Instagram have united Brutalism fans, and accounts posting photos of landmarks in the style have tens of thousands of followers. Books on the subject abound as well, from the exhaustive Atlas of Brutalist Architecture, which made The New York Times list of best art books in 2018, to art historian Chris van Uffelen’s Massive, Expressive, Sculptural: Brutalism Now and Then.

Thanks to an historic gift to the University of Toronto from Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman, the soon-to-be built Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre will accelerate innovation in Toronto and Canada by creating the country’s largest university-based innovation node. The $100-million investment is the largest donation in U of T’s history and the largest gift ever to the Canadian innovation sector.

The gift will help construct a 750,000-square-foot complex designed to anchor U of T’s unique cluster of world-leading artificial intelligence scientists and biomedical experts, its world-class entrepreneurship network, and the country’s largest concentration of student- and faculty-led startups.

Sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon have been, to put it bluntly, crushing it since their debut collection launched at Toronto Fashion Week back in 2011 — their first show after graduating from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

Local boutiques were swift to pick up pieces from the collection. Realizing their school project was getting serious, the Gordon sisters renamed the brand in 2013 — from Chloé Comme Parris to Beaufille — and set about cultivating a signature look that blends hard elements (think structured neoprene and gloss-coated wools) with soft (shirred Victorian collars, ultra-wide flares).

It is no surprise that Roche Bobois has stayed true to its motto — art de vivre (the art of living). The iconic French retailer has been on the forefront of modern design for more than 65 years. With 250-plus showrooms around the world — including the more recent openings in Tokyo, Singapore, Jakarta and Sofia, Bulgaria (in Canada, there are stores in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and four in the province of Quebec) — the brand’s ultra-stylish pieces have become a mainstay in design-chic homes-away-from-home, such as The Langham in New York, Palazzo Ridolfi in Florence, and Hôtel Version Maquis Citadelle in Corsica. But it is Roche Bobois’s commitment to collaboration and innovation that solidifies the company’s reputation as a designer favourite in today’s fickle and ever-changing world of décor.

The surrounding city lights, fine dining on your doorstep, and a short commute to the financial district—condominium living is chock-full of conveniences. But when it comes time to refresh your space or put it on the market, it can be a challenge to know where to focus your efforts. For those looking for a return on investment, these condo upgrades are worth the effort.

‘Tis the season for pool parties, barbecues, and beach bonfires—and the backyard is the ideal spot for summer gatherings of all types, from casual evenings with friends to glittering soirées. No matter what your ideal when it comes to entertaining your guests, you’ll be inspired by the array of opportunities afforded by these six gorgeous properties across Canada.

With bohemian flair, an exuberant nightlife, and a fascinating blend of Portuguese and Indian influence, India’s resplendent resort state of Goa has long served as a popular vacation destination amongst travelers in the know. These days, rustic yoga retreats are as commonplace as five-star hotels, and the call of the coast is transforming an ever-growing list of former tourists into expats seeking to cultivate a lifestyle of wellness and relaxation. With ample expanses of golden sandy beaches, the smallest state in the subcontinent offers no shortage of captivating coastal homes.