Exteriors

The home’s concrete plinth was inspired by the many gray granite outcroppings on the site. The lower level is sunk into the hillside to reduce the visual mass of the home.

When two high-end art consultants approached Studio B Architecture + Interiors to design a family home in Boulder, Colorado, they sought the simplicity of an art gallery and a strong connection to the outdoors.

The home sits on a sloped site and has two entrances on the street side – one on the upper level to the residence, and one on the lower level to the wine tasting room.

A short footbridge leads to the white, oak-and-glass front door of the upper living space. On the left is the small outdoor tap that uses pumped lake water.

Building the addition upward instead of outward allowed for more space and better views without excavating across the hilltop.

The streamlined shape of the home kept slab, framing, and roofing costs down, Pavonetti explains. A barn red shade on the front door adds a touch of farmhouse whimsy to the modern structure.

The exterior features vertical, untreated cedar panels. “We tried to use materials that are beautiful in their natural state without excessive treatment or finishing,” Pavonetti says.

The house as seen at dusk, with a day-lit basement tucked under the main floors with the help of a hillside site.

The home keeps a modest profile as it faces the street before spilling down the hill to capture waterside views.

The natural cedar cladding received a water-based penetrative stain that creates a bleached look. The maintenance-free effect will trend towards grey over time, gradually assimilating to its environment.

The home’s third floor is cantilevered to offer better views and to create an outdoor terrace for the family to enjoy in the warmer months.

Carefully nestled in the Colorado Rockies, Gammel Dam is an award-winning family hideaway whose serene, minimalist interiors recall Norwegian cabins.

The annex "lanai" opens up to the deck for indoor/outdoor living.

For a cost-conscious 2,000-square-foot renovation located 30 minutes outside of Austin, Texas, architect Nick Deaver took a look around for inspiration. He spied galvanized metal cladding on the region’s sheds and co-opted the inexpensive, resilient material for his own design.

When the couple purchased the home, there was no landscaping besides some local shrubs and Joshua trees. They decided to give the backyard a calming vibe with a saltwater hot tub. "It’s an invigorating experience, showering and soaking under an open sky so close to nature," she says. The saltwater uses fewer chemicals than chlorine, and helps relieve swelling and aching joints for hikers.

The firm took inspiration from early barns in the area. “They’re very lightly built here because we don’t have snow,” says Haesloop. “So then the eaves are very tight. There are no overhangs. So, we were interested in using the Equitone to fold down to the land.”

This view shows the two forms backed by the Cypress trees. The main social areas are to the right, and the bedroom cube is to the left.

The overhanging third floor shades a private outdoor spa—complete with an open-air shower and a plunge pool—which is located off the master bedroom and bath.

Paola Lenti furniture in rich navy and burgundy tones outfit the reimagined backyard, which also features chiseled retaining walls by a local stonemason. Japanese maple trees add to the zen-like atmosphere.