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Oak cabinets on either side of the long dining room table camouflage a variety of kitchen appliances and even laundry facilities.

The master bedroom gets the best view onto the backyard patio and pool area, as well as a vaulted ceiling.

Curtains on ceiling-mounted tracks allow the homeowners to mitigate sun exposure without disturbing views of nature.

On the hillside site, the triangular pool is on the same plane as the house.

A triangular pool is also terraced into the landscape surrounding the pavilion-like house.

The interior incorporates earthy materials like salvaged teak. “You can see the landscape on either side of you,” says Hoppenot. “The rich teak walls disappear into the height of the space, and diluted natural light floods down from the skylights and in through the windows.”

With views of trees, sky, and water, the home’s all-glass living and dining space is enveloped by the landscape.

A large hidden open-air scullery centers the main living area. Hygge Design + Build covered the cube with a paneling system of white oak and black aluminum trim to give it some detail and break up the monolith.

While the facade favors privacy, clear cedar was used on the entryway to create a warmer welcome.

The black paint on the exterior timber cladding is similar to “falu red”, a permeable red paint commonly used on wooden cottages and barns in Sweden, Finland, and Norway. The paint consists of water, rye flour, linseed oil, silicates, iron oxides, copper compounds, and zinc. When it is time to repaint the house, the old paint is simply brushed or scrubbed away.

The family room was positioned “to look out over the incredible mature oak and maple trees that surround the property without sacrificing privacy from any neighboring homes,” says Ramirez.

Architect Ignacio Urquiza explains that in Valle de Bravo, everyone has two living rooms, an interior and exterior. “You spend the whole year in the exterior because of the weather, even if it’s raining. All the interior spaces become abandoned. We wanted to erase the interior one. With the design of the windows, it would turn into the exterior façade. That was an important part of the project.”

A covered boardwalk connects the mudroom and guest bedroom structure (left) to the gathering pavilion with the living room, kitchen, and dining area (right). The boardwalk in the foreground leads to the primary bedroom cabin.

Natalie and Lauren wanted their children to feel welcome in every room and for the space to grow with them. The living area’s built-in bench seating encourages young climbers to explore—and relax.

“We didn’t want it to be stark, but to have a sense of ‘less is more’,” Natalie says of the interior design. “It was about needing a space where you felt a little bit calm, given everything that was happening with the world at the time—and just life in general!”

Natalie and Lauren opted for high-quality finishes to ensure the kitchen would stand up to many years of use.

A simple monochrome palette fits the homeowners’ minimalist aesthetic and echoes the charred cladding of the exterior. The dramatic roof pitch makes the space feel airy and light.