Doors

Architect Mark Johnson has long been inspired by the texture produced by traditional Indigenous canoe carving. The design team worked with Jim Barker at British Columbia woodworking studio Barker Manufacturing, to produce Ken and Joan’s cedar door. Its texture was produced using a CNC adze.

The Meadows reinterprets the barn vernacular of the Connecticut countryside with two gabled volumes connected by a glass-walled entry foyer, offering a contemporary twist on a familiar rural form.

The designers introduced new Alaskan yellow cedar glulam beams for the updated roofline and windows by Pella. The front door is painted in Sherwin Williams "Rose Colored."

Lifting up the roofline allowed for clerestory windows above the front door and along the front facade of the house, and the new glulam wood beams brought a sense of texture and warmth to the interior.

Julie had the front door custom-made of wood and set on a pivot, so that it would be a textural focal point on either side of its opening.

The entryway features a family heirloom in the form of an antique dresser, which sits beneath a West Elm chandelier.

Shadows from the bamboo pergula move across the deck during the afternoon.

The new foyer is more open and bright, the removed closet and stairway wall allowing the light to fill the rest of the space. The hanging light is by Copenhagen's &Tradition.

One renovation request, homeowner Isaac Hase says, “was having a place to drop your shoes.” At the mudroom end of a run of kitchen cabinets, you’ll find another feature the couple asked for. “We wanted to have a dedicated, visible place for our little stash of cookbooks,” Karoline says.

The studio uses Shou Sugi Ban cedar siding, white oak, and local Texas limestone. “In a sense it’s nicer than our home,” says Isaac, referring to the high-quality, natural finishes.

Lead architect, Tom Lenchek, opted for simple forms and materials that direct attention outwards, towards the cabin's natural surroundings.

Tight confines meant only a few feet of foyer before giving way to the stairway and kitchen, yet the small footprint (and a glass door) helped fill the home with natural light.

The texture of the reclaimed timber door contrasts with the industrial corrugated steel facade. “We rebuilt the exterior with dark grey corrugated steel and a tall front door to distinguish it a bit on the street from its neighbors,” says architect Aniket Shahane.

The entrance is located to the side of the house. The recessed Douglas fir front door was built by Austin’s Honea Woodworks. The roof is Galvalume standing-seam metal.

The home's slightly-relocated front door, now recessed into the house in order to provide a covered entry

Risa Boyer Architecture helped with a strategic remodel that targeted specific areas, such as the main living spaces, staircase, and primary suite. The kitchen was expanded to overtake an existing eating nook, and better connected to the dining room and living room.

The home’s Alaskan yellow cedar siding and copper roof will weather and change color over time. “It’s cool to think that in 10 or 20 years, it will be a silver house with a green roof,” says Drew.