Island Retreat infused with History takes 12 years to complete.
Details
Credits
From James Ferris
Perched at the waters edge and surrounded by sun-bleached grasses, bamboo and towering firs, at night the house glows like a Japanese lantern.
The designers had always wanted to create an Island waterfront retreat that reflects their eclectic lifestyle. However, the biggest challenge for them was not starting the design project by bulldozing the original house and utilitarian barn built in 1989.
This was especially challenging since the tract-style house had conflicting architectural details, including stuccoed Spanish arches, gold fixtures, and an oak Victorian farmhouse entry door. The barn was appropriate if you wanted a ranch, but didn’t fit the designer’s vision of a hobby shop/design studio.
The extensive re-imagination of the house and barn spanned several years, as time away working on other design projects for clients delayed completion; so it was imperative to maintain a consistent design philosophy to insure that it eventually all came together as one cohesive design. The majority of the extensive renovation was completed between 2002 and 2008, though some aspects were finalized only in 2014.
The result is a fusion of architectural styles blending themes from traditional northwest culture with Asian details, executed using regionally-sourced reclaimed materials.