cool ideas

An energy-efficient TPO membrane covers the living room’s zigzag roof.

Tucked beneath a grassy roof covered by nearly 200 species of plants and grasses, the structure is virtually invisible from the nearby street. In fact, the 1,400-square-foot house is so well hidden in the earth that it doesn’t seem to register on the radar of local wildlife either. Birds, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, hawks, snakes, lizards, and frogs all treat the house like just another grassy knoll.

The Douglas fir deck that extends from the front facade of one of the cabins features a sunken tub that lets users feel as if they're floating above the clouds while bathing.

Mike chose a chic fixture from In Common Width to illuminate the space. “They’re wonderful handmade lights,” he says. A light boucle stool from CB2 makes for a perfect perch.

Perry also cites the location as having helped set the tone for the project. "For Palm Beach, there was a simple equation: Sunshine + Palm Trees = A happy colorful home," Perry explains.

Outfitted with shelves by EZ Shelving and a generic tool chest, the kitchen’s galvanized steel integrated counter and sink was designed by Baker and fabricated by DeFauw Design + Fabrication. A vintage pair of Norman Cherner’s Plycraft chairs and an A Chair by sustainable furniture-maker David Colwell surround a table by Pacassa Studios, which mounted a custom top on a Herman Miller Eames base. All appliances are electric, including heat-radiating panels, a combo washer-dryer unit, and an induction stove.

kitchen as a sculpted volume