Lofted amid eucalyptus and oak trees, Graham Paarman’s house in South Africa is a glassed-in, steel-frame structure with a veil of vertical slats. Excluding outdoor areas, it measures about 720 square feet. Half-round bays project to form a balcony, a pergola, a dining alcove, and a bathroom.
On the opposite side of the solarium, the second deck features a hot tub.
Inspired by historic Bauhaus modernism, the design created one window frame for two small windows in different rooms. Raising a portion of the house off the ground helped leave nature untrampled.
A simple kitchen includes a traditional wood stove, but much of the cooking is done outside, on the outdoor wood-fired grill.
Laurel wood was used for the home's flooring, its differently colored planks occurring naturally. Whitewashed pine forms the ceiling.
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino plan
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino bedroom
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino aerial view
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino bedroom
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino patio and into the main living space
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino view of inner courtyard
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino aerial view
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In the main bedroom, linens are by Morrow soft goods and the rug is from Armadillo & Co.
Erica and her mom enjoy cooking together, and this kitchen makes that easy to do so, with an expanded footprint, leathered quartzite counters, and custom white oak cabinetry. Shoe storage was built-in by the exterior door, with a slim cupboard for cleaning supplies.
Windows along the new staircase connect the family to the outdoors, and allow more natural light inside.
Another view of how the white oak stairs wrap around to become the bench. Rogers wanted the simple interior material palette to both celebrate and gently contrast with the site’s features, becoming a backdrop for the “bark on the trees and the texture on the boulders.”
The stone slab forms a display niche in the cabinetry, and syncs up with the materials used elsewhere in the house. The step up, and the flooring material change, designates the boundary between foyer and the rest of the home.
The new foyer is designed after a Japanese Genkan, and ensures the entry is clearly delineated from the rest of the house. The wood of the bottom stair forms the bench for sitting and removing shoes.
Walkways bridge over the site to disturb it as little as possible.
The addition was shifted into the trees so that it doesn’t overwhelm the site. That also gives the main living spaces a treehouse-like feel when gazing out from inside.
The original home was converted into a bedroom level, and given a second-story addition and roof deck. The dark exterior color, a charcoal-eggplant hue, lets the landscape colors stand out in contrast. “The existing house roof became the roof deck,” says Rogers. “And then I just shifted over the addition so that it floated over the landscape.”
The main entrance is at the bright orange door. Sogno Design Group worked to preserve the site’s natural characteristics as much as possible, thus the addition “floats” over the landscape in places.
There, a kitchen and dining area bleed into indoor and outdoor living spaces that have unobstructed views of the city skyline.
A spiral staircase runs through the center of the house, serving as a chimney that pulls cool air up from the ground floor as hot air exits through windows on the top level.
The Thornton House sits on a steep site in Brooklyn, Wellington, New Zealand, with a small footprint of just 50 square meters.
The homeowner inherited the 1.36 acres over 40 years ago and finally saved enough to hire Matteo Arnone and Pep Pons of Atelier Branco Arquitectura, who came recommended by a family friend. The initial project was slated to be a modest, 540-square-foot space to house his books to be built for $50,000—but through the client’s involvement, the scope expanded.
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