Windows

The living room was re-oriented to take advantage of indoor-outdoor living with large sliders and an indoor-outdoor fireplace. The space is now a well-used extension of the living area.

In the kitchen, symmetrical, glossy surfaces keep the eating area clean.

This prefab house is built around a system of 4' by 4' concrete modules and a reusable formwork to save on costs and materials.

The renovated kitchen/dining area boasts views of the garden through sliding doors by IQ Glass. Ultratop flooring by Mapei and custom millwork in Lebanese cedar give the space a practical, industrial quality.

With four children under the age of six, the Ruells have learned not to be overprotective of their collection of contemporary and vintage furniture. In the living room, an Eames lounge chair and ottoman sit on a Moroccan rug from M.Montague, while the family’s eldest child, Mirene, surveys the indoor/outdoor view. Throughout the house, Kolbe windows and fixed glass (in existing jambs) were added to increase energy efficiency.

On sunny days fewer spots are nicer than the Mangaris deck between the Deans’ kitchen and master bedroom. Long willow switches hide the water meter behind Karie, who oversees her sons from a Bertoia Diamond Lounge. This is just a fraction of the boys’ formidable Lego collection.

The Deans’ new kitchen is long and narrow, punctuated by the small windows that dot the façade and one large light-giving window at the end.

Karie and Mason enjoy a playful loll on the bed in the Deans’ new master bedroom. The perforated wall facing the neighbors’ backyard offers a great deal of diffuse light while still managing to conceal the Deans’ boudoir from prying eyes.

The owners requested that an enlarged passageway connect the dining room to a new outdoor space on the home’s south facade, which Moreau and his team achieved with a 15-foot opening and French doors. A clay brick veneer replaces the existing brick exterior.

The kitchen, framed by Loewen windows, features walnut butcher block countertops, custom made by Dovetail, a Hansgrohe faucet, Franke apron sink, Miele refrigerator and oven, and Thermador cooktop.

Sandblasted glass gives the bathroom window a frosted finish and—together with white mosaic tiles and mirrors—brightens the small space.

High windows on the east and west façades catch the sunrise and sunset, increasing light within the home. “They’re very simple and lo-fi,” Larsen says.

“It’s like an oasis—we never had privacy before.” —Amy Bancroft, resident

“I love this low-level stair window. It’s at head height when you’re at the bottom of the stairs; it gives you a glimpse of, and connection to, the garden outside. Most of the windows capture what I’d call ‘hero shots,’ but some, like this one, are completely unexpected.”