While the owners really liked the idea of shou sugi ban, they opted for a more cost-effective black stain. The random-width, reverse board-and-batten siding reflects the wabi-sabi concept. “The builder said the math for the random siding was torturous,” the wife said. “We didn’t know how hard it was to make things look simple.” DeNiord planted hay-scented fern and lowbush blueberry sod around the house. “We didn't want any side of the house to feel unconsidered,” he says. As for the local boulders he placed around the house and terrace, he says, “They give the feeling that the house grew up around the outcroppings.”
The owners built the house as a place to gather with their three adult children on Loon Lake, where they had vacationed at the husband’s family home for years. The modern Adirondack chairs are by Loll Designs.
The horizontal layout of the home allows for easy movement throughout the interior, while the line of the continuous roof seems to extend into the trees. Enlarging the opening of the home allowed for impressive views of the river and surrounding area.
Main House
Live-edge walnut finish detail, used to obscure an unsightly metal support beam. Fantastic work by Michael Powell and Powell Woodworking.
In the main living area of Frank Nederhof’s renovated Amsterdam flat, a geometric sculpture by Antonino Sciortino hangs above an Erik Kuster sofa. The coffee tables are made from fossilized wood so heavy that each one requires two people to lift it.
“What often happens in our relationship is I come to Funn with an idea and he makes it into something livable.” —Vincent Kartheiser
