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The addition of a living room beside the kitchen lets mom and dad spend more time with their kids – and watch over their activities. The children are sitting on a NeoWall couch by Living Divani, the light fixtures above the island are Smithfield by Flos, and the floor is oak.

The whole exterior of the home, including the trim, is painted Wrought Iron by Benjamin Moore for a monochromic, quiet look.

The backyard’s emphasis on nature is mirrored in the front of the home, which also underwent extensive landscaping by Considered Design. The owners and Parish wanted to “tone everything down” and turn the home into a backdrop for a natural setting.

“Before, the house turned its back on the landscape,” said Parish. “This renovation and addition really animates the garden.” Sliding glass doors match those of the living room beyond the deck, and both can be completely open to the yard.

The landscaped backyard acts as a second, open-air living space between the home and garage studio. The cladding on the addition is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Iron Mountain, and the deck is stained western red cedar.

“The backyard, which was kind of the focus of the project, was overgrown and quite disconnected from the house itself,” said architect Nigel Parish. The glass doors of the addition open onto a patio and lawn where the kids can play.