For a couple nearing retirement, relocating from Virginia to Snohomish County, Washington, offered the chance to be closer to their son in Seattle and build a forever home with dedicated workshops for their creative pursuits: woodworking and metalworking for him, weaving, glassblowing, and gardening for her. Architect Matt Wittman of Wittman Estes crafted a serene single-level residence, designed to function as much for daily living as for making, with aging in place at its core. “It was important for them to do it right and for the long term,” says Wittman.

A Virginia couple nearing retirement hired Wittman Estes to build a home in Snohomish, Washington, where they could be near their son and work on creative pursuits." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Andrew Pogue" photoUserId=""/>

The four-and-a-half-acre property, once an animal sanctuary, sits next to a wetland and is threaded by a stream, where songbirds, hawks, deer, and frogs animate the peaceful environment. The sloping site has a 37-foot elevation change from north to south, yet it’s barely detectable. “We raised the workshop to the north and the house is sunken on the south,” Wittman explains. “In between we created one level where the owners can move with ease.”

The house and separate workshop are connected by sheltered walkways, gardens, and patios that celebrate the site, another must-have for the couple, who knew they wanted to work with a firm that specialized in both architecture and landscape design. “They wanted a landscape house, and were drawn to our work for its focus on indoor/outdoor living and its integration with garden and nature,” says Wittman.

Editors’ Note: Labor costs are included in each figure below.

$22,169 Demolition & Disposal	$213,725 Earthwork	$369,489 Concrete
$342,552 Envelope (Siding, Sheathing & Insulation)	$479,663 Framing	$103,000 Flooring (Slab on grade)
$138,678 Roofing	$128,314 Electrical	$73,847 Plumbing
$58,681 HVAC	$26,206 Planting	$148,196 Finish Carpentry
$17,716 Lighting	$109,683 Cabinetry	$68,980 Countertops
$210,305 Windows	$14,231 Exterior Doors	$22,904 Metalwork
$149,317 Interior Finishes	$9,275 Permitting
Grand Total: $2,706,931

The workshop, positioned to buffer the main house from street noise, features north-facing clerestory windows that bring in even, diffused light throughout the day, reducing glare and ensuring true color clarity. The buildings are arranged around a courtyard, where roofs route water into a series of reflecting pools. “When it rains, the water cascades over the edge of the roofs, evenly sheeting into the garden,” Wittman says. Inspired by the ancient Roman concept of the impluvium, the pools transform the site’s 35 inches of average annual rainfall into a design feature. “Instead of working against the climate, we expressed it so the owners can engage with it,” says Wittman.

Another program-driver was the need for accessibility. The single-level layout eliminates stairs, while terracing allows the home to nestle into the slope. Wide doorways, flush thresholds, and sandblasted concrete floors ensure safe, nonslip circulation, while a flexible guest suite anticipates multigenerational use.

Inside, materials were selected both to reflect the couple’s artistic leanings and to support aging eyes and bodies. Contrasting textures such as fir and cedar sourced from nearby mills, terrazzo, and concrete create a grounded feel while aiding with depth perception; reddish-brown soffits and a bold blue kitchen wall bring playfulness. Cast-in-place concrete floors with hydronic radiant heating extend to the patios and walkways.

Overhead, a corrugated metal roof in a muted metallic finish nods to the region’s agrarian past and the site’s history as farmland. The landscape design deepens the home’s connection to the site with a series of radiating gardens, moving from cultivated to wild and all maintained by the owners themselves. The layered entry procession begins with a “welcome garden,” rising from the drive to guide visitors toward the courtyard. It’s planted with low ferns and lavender, while to the south a butterfly garden blooms with bee balm, New England aster, and star of Persia. To the east, a shadier garden features sword ferns, rhododendrons, and huckleberry.

Inside and out, the home reflects the couple’s lives as makers. Her passion for gardening shaped the rhythmic, layered landscaping, while his fascination with reflecting pools inspired the water features. Slatted wood screens in the living room and around the exterior loading dock, along with glass artworks displayed on the dining room shelves, were fabricated on-site by the couple. “They wanted the home to be an expression of who they are,” Wittman says. “Now, they can live and create side by side, gracefully and seamlessly.”

More from Wittman Estes:

Half the Floor Plan Is Outdoors at This Off-Grid Prefab in Washington

One Family’s Cabin Retreat in Washington Takes Inspiration From a Native Bird

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Wittman Estes / @wittman_estes

Builder/General Contractor: Miovic Reinhardt /@miovicreinhardt

Structural Engineer: J Welch Engineering, Joshua Welch

Civil Engineer: LPD Engineering, Jennifer Argraves

Landscape and Interior Design: Wittman Estes

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Contour Woodworks

Other: Quantum Windows & Doors / @quantumwindows

Other: Geo Group Northwest, Adam Gaston

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