Windows

An abundance of windows brings the outdoors in, which was a leading priority of the project.

The insulated panels are aerodynamic in nature; the geometric shape offers extra protection against fire.

Buttons and Ridgie in their living room. The armchair is from Atra, the sofa by Ochre, and the coffee table is a one-off work titled Broken Sunglasses, by Georges Charpentier. It’s modeled after the artist’s own pair, which were crumpled in a motorcycle accident. The white vase is by Dana Harel, the sculpture on the mantle is by Simon Toparovsky, and the rug from Aga John Rugs. The custom fixed windows and Fleetwood sliders throughout were installed by Vella Glass.

“Where we let loose was on the window,” Matt says. “It’s an aluminium window frame, which is bushfire compliant and easy to install, but the way that we detailed it was about hiding the frame so that the eye is drawn into the space.”

In the living room, an Artek daybed is covered in Helios dark green fabric from Johanna Gullichsen.

Double fir rafters encase steel flitch plates, allowing for long spans of open space. Hemlock ceilings layer above, bringing warmth to the inside.

'Betasso Overlook' is aptly named for its view of Betasso Nature Preserve, 1,100 acres of single-track trails through ponderosa pine forest, granite rock outcroppings, and summertime wildflowers.

Large operable picture windows and French doors from Andersen, adorned with gold-toned hardware from Valli & Valli, frame views while bringing tons of natural light into the house. A downstairs bedroom has a built-in bench where Jes’s daughter, Beatrix, reads.

The sunken living room is just one of many grade changes inside the structure. “We were adamant that we didn’t want something domestic,” says Andrew. “We wanted something surprising, that was hyper-animated, and that, when you moved through it, changed all the time.” The sofa, designed by the couple and Levenbetts, is upholstered in cotton velvet. The Habibi side tables are by Philipp Mainzer for e15, the fireplace tools by Fort Standard, and the doors by Fleetwood.

Josh and Natalie Pritchard’s residence in the woods of New Gloucester, Maine, consists of two parallel gable structures connected by a breezeway. The taller building is the home, and the shorter is a two-car garage with an in-law apartment. The Pritchard children call the wetlands behind the house “fairy land.”