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The engawa deck is a traditional Japanese feature. It's a place where guests are often greeted to sit with a casual cup of tea. The David and Mayuko also uses it as a viewing porch toward the back yard for when the kids play in the grass.

The living room is outfitted with the Stockholm Wool Rug from Ikea, a Noguchi table by Isamu Noguchi for Herman Miller, and the Neo Sectional Chaise Left by Niels Bendtsen from DWR.

The most sustainable element of all is the Lais’ intention to make their first home their last home as well. “Some people have this mentality of getting a starter house, then upgrading from there,” David says. “We just wanted to find a place to live in and then stay there forever.” Eventually they imagine passing the home down to their children.

The roof features a cool roof, which reflects heat back to the sky rather than having it absorbed into the house, and 26 solar panels that often cause the meter to roll backward.

At the opposite end of the house, the soaking tub gets almost daily use. The bath and shower fixtures are by Dornbracht