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Natural pine planks were installed on the kitchen ceiling for warmth and texture, and were sourced from a local supplier.

Creating a compact footprint, where the living spaces all intertwine, keeps energy costs low. Sancal, a Spanish interior design firm, chose a natural palette to match the home's ethos.

A shaded patio can be used throughout the year, creating an extra "room

Out of The Valley just completed their latest project, the Holly Water Cabin—and it’s available for rent.

The exposed structure of the ground floor master bedroom doubles as shelving; while a large window overlooks the cottage grounds.

The kitchen allows the extension to function completely separately from the main cottage, and can be separated from the boot room and utility rooms at the private entrance via a sliding timber partition.

Almost every room in the extension has direct access to the outside so the relationship with the grounds is immediate. In addition, carefully considered windows frame views of the surrounding landscape—especially the large window facing the valley in the first-floor living space. “It’s incredibly joyful to see how the views, smells, and emotion of being in the extension changes throughout the different seasons,” says architect Je Ahn. “It’s very tranquil and a retreat in the true sense of the word.”

Off-Grid Guesthouse by Anacapa Architecture

The green details—such as the lights integrated into the master bedroom joinery, the green Quartzite in the bathrooms, and the green stair—have been chosen to provide a pleasing contrast with the warmer materials, including the cedar and elm timber joinery and the pink clay rendered walls.

The timber window seat in the family bathroom is a clever detail that makes bathtimes easier for parents. The glass shower screen can swing open to allow access directly from the seat to the bathtub.

The green Quartzite that was used for the vanities has also been used to create a storage nook in the shower.

The renovated parlor-level is a completely open space from front to back, with a door to a balcony that steps down to the garden.

“We wanted to create a really cozy nook,” says Jones of the new bed area of the apartment. A mirror at the end of the bed visually expands the interior space.

The structure is made of double-brick walls with insulation between each layer, which regulates indoor temperatures while still providing strong protection from the elements.

A sloped roof