Our Focus series shines the spotlight on the details: the extraordinary materials, spaces, and ideas that take great projects to the next level.

Technically speaking, Acre Architects principals Monica Adair and Stephen Kopp were the ones who designed their cherry-red cottage-country home in Saint John, New Brunswick. But their sons Valentino (9) and Hugo (12) deserve some credit, too. Without the influence and input of the boys, it would still be a welcoming and wonderful piece of modern architecture…it just probably wouldn’t be half as fun.

Because next to adult-pleasing elements like the moss-green Togo chairs, graphic Mutina tiles, and impeccable built-in storage, you’ll find design details that spark childlike wonder in everyone who visits: tunnel-like passageways, seafoam-colored monkey bars running down the hallway, and a woven cargo net hanging above the living room.

There’s a quote from David Hockney that Monica loves: “People tend to forget that play is serious.”

“We’re lacking play everywhere,” she says. “We’re missing it in homes: architecture gets so serious. I get that when you spend a lot of money, it’s hard to justify taking out the floor and putting in a net. But it’s a place to raise our children that allows them to take ownership of what spaces can be.”

It wasn’t necessarily the intended consequence of the design, but the home’s playful nature inspires the kids to interact with it in creative ways. They’ll sleep in the tunnel, or host sleepovers on the net; Stephen and the boys set up a tent on the deck just the other day for a weekend campout.

That lofted net was inspired by a hammock that was on the property before construction began on the house. It bridges two tall windows in a space the family calls “the Sky Room”—the boys have their desk up there, all their books, and water views through strategically placed windows.

The net is a favorite hang-out spot for the kids and their friends (“It’s movie central up there,” says Monica), but it’s sturdy enough to support up to five adults. Next to the net, you’ll find a surprise tunnel that runs through the Sky Room—an ideal escape route during a game of tag or a cozy spot for reading.

The home is a frequent gathering spot for their community—the spacious covered patio in particular is ideal for rain-or-shine entertaining—but the guests who love it best are the littlest ones.

“Little kids who come here just get the house,” says Monica with a laugh. “They just run in and know exactly where to go.”

More Focus stories:

Drawers, Shelves, Closets, and Cubbies Pack in the Storage at a Family’s Mexico City Home

She Couldn’t Save the 1764 Farmhouse—But Its Colorful Spirit Lives On

Thanks to a Massive, Jewel-Like Skylight, This Chilean Cabin Glows From Top to Bottom

Project Credits:

Architect of Record, Interior Design, Landscape Design: Acre Architects / @acre_architects

General Contractor: River Builders / @rivir_builders

Framing/Sub-Contractor: Integral Builders

Structural Engineer: Bill Mayberry Engineering

Cabinetry: Queenstown Industries

Also Appears In

Monkey Bars in the Hallway? This New Brunswick House Is Designed Like a Playground