Light

The emphasis on wood finishes continues inside, where the skylit atrium bifurcates the house. On the second floor, the primary bedroom and a pair of smaller bedrooms straddle the stairwell.

A multilevel design means that the outside is never far away in CBC House.

A colored compound mixed into the cement gives the home a yellow color that lends a much warmer feeling than gray concrete.

The balcony—with iron lacework that is typical of an inner Sydney terrace—is the only real nod to strict heritage conservation in the project. "We were required to replicate the original design of the balcony," says Joe. "Curiously, it was the first job we undertook and the last to be completed."

Tsai Design relocated the bedroom. In its place are the main living areas, including the dining room seen here. A built-in bench tucks neatly beneath the interior window.

In the bathroom, old and new merge in unexpected ways. The floor is covered in heritage red hexagonal floor tiles, “which are often used in Victorian-era public buildings,” says Bokey-Grant. The amber panel is a piece of heritage patterned glass. “We had intended to reuse a piece of glass from a window that was removed during demolition, but this broke during removal so we sourced a new piece,” says Bokey-Grant. “This is an adaption of the original fan light / highlight window prevalent in heritage homes in Australia.”

Photo: Willem-Dirk du Toit

Photo: Willem-Dirk du Toit

Photo: Willem-Dirk du Toit

Karimoku—made them perfectly suited to designing for a prefab process.

Architectural elements like coffered ceilings and columns were added to the dining room to give the space the charm and character that is usually associated with older homes.

The black trend from the main house continues in a guesthouse/studio and garage with a Rais woodburning stove. Simple plywood furniture and built-ins keep the space feeling efficient and functional for whoever may be visiting.

The architects renovated and added multiple structures. A “spa shed” by the pool has a hot tub, an outdoor shower, and a sauna.

Earth tones, dried plants, and a brass bed frame create a harmonious mix in one of the two upstairs bedrooms. Aiming for maximum comfort and style, Danielle and Ely brought in West Elm furniture, lighting fixtures from Hudson Valley Lighting Appliances, Parachute linens, Marshall speakers, Fireclay tile, and Tuft & Needle mattresses to furnish The Barnhouse.

The simplicity of the structure, in form and materiality, amplifies the dramatic mountain views and feelings of solitude. "We called it the hermitage because it’s a getaway,

Scardulla says that in design, it’s critical to build with your hands “because you change how you see things,