Houzz Tours
Popular Houzz Series
Popular Houzz Series
Appears in
See also
Fun HouzzFrom The ProsHouzz Around The WorldProject Of The WeekStickybeak Of The WeekQuizzesCreatives At HomeAt Home With...Best Of The WeekRoom Of The WeekDesigner Profiles3 Things I Wish My Clients KnewHow Do I...Buyer's GuidesExpert EyeInnovation AlertSo Your Style Is...Spotted!Picture PerfectBefore & AfterBudget BreakdownHome TimeMade Local
Washington Houzz: An Island Home Opens Up to Inspiring Views
In Washington, USA, an architect mixes modern and rural styles in a new build overlooking waterways, forests and fields
A cliffside perch above Puget Sound, a richly wooded ravine and pastoral meadow views all informed the design of this new home on Washington’s Whidbey Island in the USA. Architect John DeForest of DeForest Architects planned a house that mixes vernacular rural architecture and a modern glass box to take advantage of all three natural elements for the couple who bought this property. He created a home that feels intimate when it’s just the two of them but also accommodates larger family gatherings and work retreats.
While studying the site, DeForest went though several iterations to create a house that would connect with it in the best way. He made models of U-shaped houses and L-shaped homes before landing on this design.
“Working through these other schemes made me realise that the calm would be lost in a lot of pieces,” he says. So the winning design is one long bar, spliced by a glass staircase that perforates the home’s facade and offers views from the pasture-facing side through to the vista of Puget Sound.
“We started with the simple gabled form and then carved it to be more open and connected to the landscape,” says DeForest. “I love to play with traditional forms and then give them a twist.”
The left side of the house contains the gathering spaces on the main level, with the homeowners’ bedroom suite and exercise room on the upper floor. On the right side of the house is an office, a mudroom entrance and a cosy den on the main level, with guest bedrooms above. The architect built flexibility into the plans. For example, it would be easy to convert the office into a bedroom down the track.
Keen to renovate? Find a local architect on Houzz, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
“Working through these other schemes made me realise that the calm would be lost in a lot of pieces,” he says. So the winning design is one long bar, spliced by a glass staircase that perforates the home’s facade and offers views from the pasture-facing side through to the vista of Puget Sound.
“We started with the simple gabled form and then carved it to be more open and connected to the landscape,” says DeForest. “I love to play with traditional forms and then give them a twist.”
The left side of the house contains the gathering spaces on the main level, with the homeowners’ bedroom suite and exercise room on the upper floor. On the right side of the house is an office, a mudroom entrance and a cosy den on the main level, with guest bedrooms above. The architect built flexibility into the plans. For example, it would be easy to convert the office into a bedroom down the track.
Keen to renovate? Find a local architect on Houzz, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
“I thought, let’s just imagine we had two traditional farmhouse buildings here and someone asked us to do a remodel,” says DeForest. The simple gabled form of the house nods to regional agricultural architecture. So does the standing-seam metal roof, the vertical cedar siding and the upper-floor windows. The first floor was designed as a modern glass box, with large windows and doors opening up the house to features in the landscape.
“Agrarian architecture tends to be big volumes,” says DeForest. “This one has a customised shell where we punched holes in it to create those more modern indoor-outdoor connections.” Here, large lift-slide glass doors open to two outdoor rooms. On the pasture-facing side is this patio, and straight across from it is a patio that looks out to Puget Sound and the mountains beyond. Note how the steel beams that form the structure of the house extend from underneath the overhang all the way through the house and out the other side.
The second story is clad in vertical cedar, contrasted by the lighter-coloured smooth stucco on the main level. The farmhouse windows provide a strong contrast to the expanses of glass below. “There is contrast in scale and in the level of detail,” says DeForest. “Contrast is good because it accentuates what is distinct about each of these.”
“Agrarian architecture tends to be big volumes,” says DeForest. “This one has a customised shell where we punched holes in it to create those more modern indoor-outdoor connections.” Here, large lift-slide glass doors open to two outdoor rooms. On the pasture-facing side is this patio, and straight across from it is a patio that looks out to Puget Sound and the mountains beyond. Note how the steel beams that form the structure of the house extend from underneath the overhang all the way through the house and out the other side.
The second story is clad in vertical cedar, contrasted by the lighter-coloured smooth stucco on the main level. The farmhouse windows provide a strong contrast to the expanses of glass below. “There is contrast in scale and in the level of detail,” says DeForest. “Contrast is good because it accentuates what is distinct about each of these.”
Stone walls and cladding also nod to the rural architecture. Used on walls in the landscape, on the entry porch and on the chimney, the basalt ledgestone grounds the house, anchoring it in the landscape. “The stone feels timeless and makes the house feel rooted,” says DeForest.
The covered walkway from the garage to the entrance forms one side of a courtyard. The wooded ravine encloses the courtyard on the opposite side. “These woods have an almost prehistoric look,” says DeForest. “Moss hangs from the old-growth trees, and there are giant ferns. And there is a creek at the bottom of the ravine.”
The covered walkway from the garage to the entrance forms one side of a courtyard. The wooded ravine encloses the courtyard on the opposite side. “These woods have an almost prehistoric look,” says DeForest. “Moss hangs from the old-growth trees, and there are giant ferns. And there is a creek at the bottom of the ravine.”
The architect used expansive windows to capture views so the family room could enjoy the forest backdrop. The stone fireplace provides a well-scaled focal point that breaks up the glass. The ceilings are hemlock and the materials palette mixes a modern glass box with cosy cabin style.
Swivel chairs allow the homeowners to enjoy the view. In this photo the chairs face the fields – they can swing around to enjoy the forest and water views.
Swivel chairs allow the homeowners to enjoy the view. In this photo the chairs face the fields – they can swing around to enjoy the forest and water views.
“This is one big open space that has views outside in three different directions. There’s lots of flexibility,” says DeForest. The dining table seats large groups, letting the couple entertain.
A long pantry directly behind the rear kitchen wall provides a good spot for storing small appliances. This leaves the kitchen benchtops clear of clutter. To the right is a bar that serves all the areas within the open-plan layout.
A long pantry directly behind the rear kitchen wall provides a good spot for storing small appliances. This leaves the kitchen benchtops clear of clutter. To the right is a bar that serves all the areas within the open-plan layout.
A more intimate breakfast area offers views on three sides. This table is cosier for when it’s just the couple at home.
“I think contrasting scale helps a house live well,” says DeForest. “The cosy and open combination is really wonderful – cosy comes in here in the breakfast nook, or by placing a cosy chair in the corner of a larger room.”
Browse more beautiful breakfast nooks to inspire your own
“I think contrasting scale helps a house live well,” says DeForest. “The cosy and open combination is really wonderful – cosy comes in here in the breakfast nook, or by placing a cosy chair in the corner of a larger room.”
Browse more beautiful breakfast nooks to inspire your own
A covered patio provides views of Puget Sound and the sun setting behind the mountains on the Olympic Peninsula. The second-story porch on the right is off the primary bedroom.
The stairwell brings in light, reveals further views and divides the house. DeForest was thoughtful about the experience of the homeowners using the stairs. “They go up and down every day. And they’ll look out toward the water and the pasture when they do, making it a special moment every day,” he says.
He also thought carefully about the style of the stairs. “It’s always a challenge to make something special out of a staircase when there are so many codes involved,” the architect says. Here, he added L-shaped metal pieces for each white oak tread to sit on, creating a partial riser effect. The wire mesh grid on the steel railings is at once modern and a nod to agrarian fences.
He also thought carefully about the style of the stairs. “It’s always a challenge to make something special out of a staircase when there are so many codes involved,” the architect says. Here, he added L-shaped metal pieces for each white oak tread to sit on, creating a partial riser effect. The wire mesh grid on the steel railings is at once modern and a nod to agrarian fences.
Large glass doors lead to the primary bedroom’s private porch. “The cover allows them to enjoy the porch on rainy days. It’s also nice to be able to leave the doors open and enjoy the mild climate,” says DeForest.
A glass box that cantilevers out over the ravine contains part of the primary bathroom.
“Sitting in the bathtub feels like being in a glass bubble hanging over the ravine,” says DeForest. “I wanted to design in a way that would make them feel really connected to nature.”
To the right, the shower has another set of doors that opens to the porch of the primary suite. DeForest left the chimney stone exposed up here. “Originally I wanted that stone to be exposed in the shower, but others told me it would get covered in soap scum, and they were right,” he says. So a grid of complementary grey tiles adds a modern layer to the traditional material.
To the right, the shower has another set of doors that opens to the porch of the primary suite. DeForest left the chimney stone exposed up here. “Originally I wanted that stone to be exposed in the shower, but others told me it would get covered in soap scum, and they were right,” he says. So a grid of complementary grey tiles adds a modern layer to the traditional material.
DeForest thought carefully about every framed view. Even the window above the laundry sink looks across the pasture towards the barn – a visual treat in a utilitarian room, which is not only reserved for the grander rooms in this home.
Your turn
Which rooms in this home are your favourites? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
To see more great international design, check out this Madrid Houzz: A New Layout & Custom Built-Ins Create an Apartment
Your turn
Which rooms in this home are your favourites? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
To see more great international design, check out this Madrid Houzz: A New Layout & Custom Built-Ins Create an Apartment
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Whidbey Island, USA
Size: Five bedrooms (including an office) and four bathrooms
Designers: John DeForest, Michael Knowles and Meredith Kelly of DeForest Architects (architecture); Whitney Maehara of NB Design Group (interior design); Kenneth Philp Landscape Architects (landscape architecture)
Builder: Heggenes Construction
The bucolic setting drove the design. “One of the homeowners had grown up down the street and had loved roaming the property,” says DeForest. “It was important to the homeowners that the house be compatible with rural surroundings.”
The project included other buildings such as a garage, horse barn and woodwork studio. It was also important that the landscape remained true to the country setting. Kenneth Phlip Landscape Architects designed the landscape, including the winding driveway through the rolling pastures.