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The built-in cabinets at the entry include special storage for Ryan and Rory's running shoes. (They're both long-distance runners.)

“I like that you can feel the old shapes of the house,” says Lanigan, who intentionally let the trim and fireplace “run into” the green box. Dark wood detailing on the floor reveals the outlines of the former rooms of the home.

The living room furniture is from Sobu.

The backsplash continues into the pantry—25 feet of Zia concrete tiles in all.

“I’ve done shelves in front of windows here and there throughout my life,” says Lanigan, who grew up in a hippie commune in the ‘70s, where plants were always hanging in the windows. “I grew up in a geodesic dome my parents built. That organic ‘70s design is very much a touchstone for me.” Beside nostalgia, this choice offers extra accessible shelving and blocks a boring driveway view while still letting in light.

The countertop is a custom Concrete Collaborative terrazzo, and the colored flecks nod to the wall tiles.

Square Daltile tiles line almost every surface of the bathroom, which is flooded in natural light.

“Color-blocking all four walls make this zone feel like it has its own identity,” says Sundius. “It’s a bit of luxury in 420 square feet.”

Wood panelling brings a warmth to the concrete-and-white space.

The wallpaper was one of the first interior details, a limited edition print featuring trans icons and significant moments in queer history.

Concrete floors were polished a few extra times to reveal the pebbles and stones for a terrazzo-esque effect.

The sofa flips into a comfortable queen-sized bed. “We’d rather have the space be mostly available for hanging out, but able to convert when we need to," says David.

A painting, from which Howorko looked to for inspiration when devising the color palette, brightens the living area, which stars an intimate dining table, a reading nook along the windows, and expansive storage.

One of many kinetic features throughout - a storage closet for the homeowner's craft & art supplies.

Light & air

As an artist & engineer that explores the beauty of natural objects and scenes, the homeowner tasked us with creating a building that was not precious - one that explores the essence of its raw building materials and is not afraid of expressing them as finished. We designed in opportunities for kinetic fixtures, many built by her, to allow flexibility and movement. The result is a building that compliments the casual artistic lifestyle of the occupant as part home, part work space, part gallery. The spaces are intended to be interactive, contemplative, and fun.

Raw, common timber materials were used in rhythm to create a warm and casual canvas for the sunken and double height living space in our Not Precious house.

The house sits in an established neighborhood filled with 1940s Cape Cods and bungalows from the 1920s and ’30s. As with many of our projects, we wanted to respect the scale of the neighborhood, even if it was a contemporary house, & make sure the house read pleasantly from the street in the context of the houses around it. Kinetic screens are utilized here to enclose the carport & allow the homeowner to attach outdoor art.

A view from the loft. Large sliding glass doors allow the sunken living room to be opened up to the outdoors connecting to both the south yard and west patio at our Not Precious project.