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Setsumasa and Hideaki toss on the rain fly. The solar panel in the foreground supplies daytime electricity.

Streamlined birch plywood cabinetry and a maple butcher-block counter forms the kitchenette, which isn’t intended for extensive meal prep. The building is a blend of "a bedroom and camping," says Shaw, which means much of the cooking and cleaning happens outside.

The window seat can also double as a bed. "It's particularly long, which was so that an adult can sleep there, or two kids could comfortably cozy up and sleep there," says Shaw, noting that it’s tucked around the corner from the bed for privacy.

Inside, there’s similarly understated material palette with concrete floors, plaster walls, and exposed hemlock rafters at the ceiling.

“Friends can use the screened porch for the day, like a cabana,” the wife says. The couple are also planning for teachers from High Meadow Farm to hold practices here. “People will be able to use the porch and have access to the lake while our family is also using the house,” the husband adds.

San Francisco firm Lundberg Design built this cabin out of reclaimed materials, including the exterior redwood, which has aged into an elegant, ashen gray. In a past life, the pool acted as a water tank for livestock.

"I really appreciate as a designer, things that make me stop and go, 'Oh, I never thought of that,'

Stephanie tapped frequent collaborator Olson Brothers Construction to fabricate new cabinets from Fir, with reclaimed tongue-and-groove on select fronts. The couple saved money by having Sam complete the cabinets with an oil-rubbed finish, which took "a couple weeks and a couple coats,

Of the new and old woods being joined together, Sam says, "Things have darkened. Things have gotten beat up. Things have been lived in, so now everything has more of a cohesive feel to it."

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.”

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.

A Danish artist filled the wooden wonder with handcrafted details and hygge vibes—and it comes with a studio and a tree house.

Tall windows wrapping around the living spaces ensure plenty of sunshine is invited inside.

The kitchen’s concrete countertops complement the handcrafted cabinetry.

There is a private outdoor shower with an ocean view outside the primary bathroom.