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Nestled into the trees, the modern home blends with its surroundings, following the site’s contours as if it were another wild thing sprung from the ground.

A flexible-use entertainment space in the guest suite adds extra storage with built-in cabinetry.

For the living room, Dovetail’s metal shop fabricated a custom fireplace to go between the Quantum windows. The steel surround is coated in an antique black finish to complement the stained cedar wall.

During site excavation, a collection of large, glacial boulders was discovered. Ken, who is interested in geology wanted to keep them on property, so Signal Architecture worked as many as they could into the landscape. The slatted fir wall separates the home’s dining area from the guest wing.

Shou Sugi Ban exterior cladding

The addition is clad in contemporary-looking fritted glass and shou sugi ban—rustic charred wood—by Delta Millworks. Both materials contrast with the historic stonework of the original building.

Shou Sugi Ban Addition

The ceiling of the lower level is shou sugi ban cedar siding to match the exteriors.

Avon House featuring yakisugi (shou sugi ban) japanese charred wood siding

Avon House featuring yakisugi (shou sugi ban) japanese charred wood siding

The architect and owners were in sync on every aspect of the design, including the desire for shou sugi ban siding. “I had been interested in shou sugi ban for a long time,” Herrmann says. “These Japanese cypress boards have been charred, wire-brushed, stained, and oiled. We did a lot of testing to come up with the right dark grey color; it changes in the light.”

Hunter developed a black stain that mimics the look of shou sugi ban’s fire-charred finish. "We didn't use shou sugi ban because it can wash away in our [very rainy] climate," Hunter says.

A serene outdoor shower space is surrounded by shou sugi ban wood.

A new rear addition at both levels added much-needed space to the master suite (above) and created an extra bedroom/office with deck access (below).

The addition carves out a cozy seating area with a natural sight line to lake views. The custom railing is steel.

Interior ceiling beams continue externally to give sense of extended living spaces inside to outside. Timber battens to cement sheet add texture to the exterior light weight walls

In addition to the wood screening, the house is finished in smooth-trowel stucco with black-framed openings to maintain the high contrast palette inside and out.

A table and chairs encourage alfresco dining on the deck.

Even in the chilly evenings, guests spend ample time on the deck thanks to a warming fire pit.