“We definitely wanted to preserve the character of the home and make sure that it always fits the neighborhood,” says designer Jenny Bassett. To that end, the team kept the front façade intact, only repainting and adding new landscaping. The fireplace in the living room was also retained, so wood is stored in the front yard for easy access.
"We did our best to tuck the buildings into the site—the goal was to get up high on a perch. It was a matter of setting that elevation and working back down with the topography," says architectural designer Riley Pratt.
Thomas likens the humble, black wood structures (there are two, but he hopes to add a third) to the forts or treehouses one builds as a kid. “Having a cluster of little houses brings down the scale,” he notes. “They are suitable for one or two; not overwhelming, but intimate.”
The board-formed concrete retaining wall holds firewood and is also a bench. Beyond, the garden lounge backs up against the studio and a retaining wall. “It’s a study in how little you can do to define a space,” Thomas says.
Cobblestones reference the surroundings. “In winter, the frozen ground pushes out rocks that farmers collect in the spring to build walls,” Thomas says. “This is how they used the rocks on the farms back in the day.”
