Dwell September/October 2025

I can’t predict the future. But for 25 years, the people featured in Dwell have. Whether they were resurrecting 20th-century modernism at the close of the McMansion 1990s, championing contemporary prefabrication, or proposing new floor plans, new materials, and new design for new household configurations, they all presented possibilities for what a home can and should be. There’s no “Dwell Style”—and I can’t stand any kind of design orthodoxy—though since we launched our first issue in October 2000, many people have found commonalities in the work that we cover and come up with ideas about what a definitive “Dwell Home” might be. (Does it have to have a flat roof? No.) To celebrate our birthday, we asked former editors and homeowners inspired by the magazine for their interpretation of a…

Suleman Anaya Writer “Familial Pattern,” p. 52; “Paradise Found,” p. 86 Suleman Anaya has been a culture, architecture, and design writer for 10 years, after studying history and theory at London’s Architectural Association School of Architecture. That degree unlocked his fascination with cities and how their historic fabric is reinvented by generations. He explores that in this issue, for which he wrote two stories about houses in the Mexico City region, one about an artist’s small home and studio that’s on the same lot as her mother’s house. “I wanted to know how a modern, very formal structure—essentially a tall screen made of bricks—fit into the old fabric of Tlalpan, a historic town that was swallowed by Mexico City,” says Anaya. What did he find there? “Poetic simplicity.” Elizabeth Santos…

“What a beautiful and rich palette. I would love to spend time in this house—it is so cozy.”Hope Telford via dwell.com Re: “Everyone Onboard: A couple fix up an old prefab, a former sailing clubhouse, to spend time with their relatives in the Dominican Republic.” July/August Always enjoy seeing our beautiful Caribbean islands in print. @THELITTLEMAHOGANYSTUDIO Re: “Made to Move: In Mongolia, a traditional housing type designed for a mobile lifestyle meets the changing realities of its residents.” July/August Very cool article and photos!! Thanks for the change of pace and the stunning beauty from Mongolia. @TRIPOUTFITTER Thank you for this! Nice to see a different and adapted-to-moderntimes traditional way of living. @HOPONOPONO Re: “Community, Centered: An unconventional condominium project in Toronto looks to ‘gentle density’ as a way for…

It’s so fun and full of life. Goodbye, greige! @laurasand Too much of a good thing. @ellarebanks It’s so bold and so simple at the same time. @byannie.studio It’s like a full body hug from your favorite color. @heather_keely Doesn’t work as soon as the cacophony of colors of daily life is thrown into the mix. @enriquejmn Instagram trend alert—looks better in a picture on a small screen than in person because it flattens details and creates a simple graphic pop. Jack Balderrama Morley, managing editor @jackbaldmo It’s a bold move, and I’m all for it if the whole room is truly monochrome. You have to commit! William Hanley, editor-in-chief Inexpensive way to make a big impact. @marfaastudio Great for pictures, asphyxiating in real life. @belenspada I love how surrounding…

Domestic Science Before “shelter magazine” was an industry category—the first-known use of the term was in a 1946 New York Times article—magazines like Good Housekeeping (1885), House Beautiful (1896), and House & Garden (1901) all hit the market as architectural journals, evolving over the early 20th century to reflect the idea that the home was a workplace to be managed, with primarily women doing the managing. The publications embraced the philosophies of domestic science, a movement that treated housework as a professional discipline. Readers could find tips on how to best use and clean new appliances, investigations into the best height for kitchen countertops, and, as workforces shifted during two world wars and the Great Depression, advice on how to manage both a household and an outside-the-home job. The Mail-Order…

MY STUDIO IS… 96% A hive of productive clutter 4% A study in head-clearing minimalism IF I HAD TO CHOOSE ONE… 46% Bauhaus 29% Memphis 25% Brutalism “People say, You’re an architect, but you’re working as a designer. I’m like, It’s one and the same!”OLORUNFEMI ADEWUYI, OMI COLLECTIVE LAGOS, NIGERIA @OMI.CV_ Omi Collective For Olorunfemi Adewuyi, furniture can blur the lines between architecture and interior design. While he has both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from Covenant University in Nigeria, he’s not fussy about titles: “People say, You’re an architect, but you’re working as a designer. I’m like, It’s one and the same!” Taking its name from the Yoruba word for water, Adewuyi’s Omi Collective project is fluid in scope; “Furniture has always been a natural extension of…