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A large deck to the side of the kitchen is accessed via a large sliding door. On calm and sunny days, the residents can sit outside an enjoy views over the water.

Puriri timber reclaimed from a fallen tree on site was specified around the window and door jambs, sills, trims and bench tops. "The light falls on it showing up the beautiful green-brown tones and the patterns that the Puriri moth leaves in the timber,

The bathroom is located on an exterior deck but isn’t exposed to the wind or rain thanks to the exterior metal cladding that runs into the bathroom and wraps around the shower. "It keeps the experience of staying there in touch with the elements but not uncomfortable,

Yellow vinyl floor tile defines the new living room and keeps the interior from veering too industrial. “You need to offset the brick with something simple,” says Tom. “Otherwise, you get too many textures.” The lights and coffee table were found at local vintage stores.

This property located in Noyers, France, is currently listed for €390,000 (approximately $411,676 USD) by Architecture de Collection.

Chris made a point of avoiding plasterboard, instead using structurally insulated panels for the walls to create an airtight seal, and for the flooring, a hydronic concrete slab from Hydrotherm that can warm or cool the interiors.

The side walls have been treated as vertical extension of the horizontal surface of the garden, and are used for growing climbers such as jasmine, grapes, honeysuckle, raspberries, beans, peas, and even a climbing fig. Colorful bird’s houses and bug hotels are also mounted on the walls.

A wooden grid wall separates the kitchen from the couple’s work area, which features a one-armed sofa and a large paper pendant, both of their design. The family dog, Billie, often gets a smile from Junko for good behavior.

The couple flipped the typical townhouse layout by putting the bedrooms on the ground floor and the living areas upstairs. “The lower floors of machiyas tend to be cave-like,” says Chris, “so we decided to sleep in the cave and live upstairs in the bright open area.”

There are decks on all levels of the home. “We utilize them all,” says James. “I use them throughout the day to catch the sun at different times.”

The double-height wall of windows in the living room looks out on the property and was a big draw on their first walk-through.

"In some ways the strongest attributes of the house are probably the outside spaces,” says Court. The original cedar deck was replaced with Kebony decking that wraps around a century-old cherry tree. A pair of Andy rockers from Mamagreen face an ottoman by Kenneth Cobonpue. The accordion doors are a NanaWall SL-60 system that allows the main room of the guesthouse to open completely to the deck.

When architects Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard toured the raw industrial space, they were struck by how much light streamed in, a gift bestowed by large windows and the rare presence of a private patio.