The stairs are partically hidden behind a slatted ash screen that supports steel bookshelves.
The heavy guardrail on the mezzanine ties into the black kitchen cabinets below.
The flooring switches from warm, engineered white oak in the living room to concrete in the kitchen to make cleaning a breeze.
“In every season, in every setting, it’s beautiful,” says Emilie.
Handa kept it simple with the palette: black, white and wood.
The sauna offers a “Scandinavian spa circuit of hot, cold, relax” with a shower and hammocks.
The staircase in the mudroom is made of raw steel kickplates and treads created from locally harvested sugar maples.
The wood exterior blends in quietly with the surrounding timber.
Three levels intermix within the small footprint of the home, creating a loft-like feeling.
Open wood stairs allow light to pass between levels.
Long Cabin from south lawn at dawn.
Long Cabin south deck and fire pit with existing stone retaining wall.
Entry drive to the new Sleeping Cabin and remodeled Long Cabin.
Sleeping Cabin from southeast lawn and existing storage shed beyond.
Sleeping Cabin at dawn.
Sleeping Cabin entry hall.
Sleeping Cabin at sunset.
To take advantage of the astounding views that extend beyond the Strait of Georgia to the cityscape of downtown Vancouver, Trim Studio oriented the home so that it faces northeast.
The couple and their friends spent hours clearing brush and felling at-risk oak and madrone trees. “There was no view at all,” Molly says. “You had to duck and peek through thick oak brush just to see that there was anything on the horizon.”
An upcoming visit from a friend who needed a break from wedding planning gave the couple the incentive to finish the tree deck, which has a wood-fired hot tub on the lower level.
Molly and Jeff wanted their guests to have creature comforts, so early on they built an outdoor shower that’s illuminated by string lights at night.
"The first time we flipped a switch and a light came on, Molly and I marveled. It was mind-blowing,
I’ve been in places where it didn’t feel like I could try and fail. Here, you can bring over a friend and say, ‘Take a hammer and nail. No one’s around. Give it a go,'
After renting in San Francisco for a decade, DIY couple Molly Fiffer and Jeff Waldman bought 10 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the pair and their friends built a cabin compound complete with sheds, tree decks, a pavilion, a wood-fired hot tub, an outhouse, and an outdoor shower. The cabin is made from locally sourced, rough-sawn redwood, which the couple stained with nontoxic Eco Wood Treatment to give the panels an aged appearance and a dark patina.
Inspired by hilltop views and traditional New England farm and barn structures, Marvin Architect's Challenge-winner Michael Waters of LDa Architecture & Interiors set out to strike the perfect balance between time-tested tradition and sophisticated, clean lines. The site includes a farmhouse-inspired residence along with a timber-framed barn and attached greenhouse, adjacent to an enclosed garden area and surrounded by a beautiful orchard.
The house is clad in vertical planks of black-painted fir.
Kayaks wait to take the homeowners on an outdoor adventure.
A Husk Armchair by Patricia Urquiola provides a cozy perch. The table lamp is made from an old boat mast, and the gray ceramics are also by Vipp.
This traditional stone home in France was renovated with a living room that features built-in storage for firewood, allowing the homeowners to stack logs by the fireplace.
In the living room, a B&B Italia sofa and chair and Arco Floor Lamp rest on a Beni Ouarain rug.
The glass-and-steel extension allows the homeowners to embed themselves in the natural environment.
A custom wash basin from the stone supplier BAMSTONE emphasizes the home's connection to natural materials and the environment.
Home Renovation Tip: Remember to Stay Positive
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