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“In Spain, there’s the inheritance of the bourgeois [floor plan] that has shrunk over time,” says Luzárraga. “Usually, the toilets have the worst places in the house: they’re not ventilated or illuminated naturally. We think this also has to do with a Catholic culture where flesh is sin. We wanted to turn this around and play with the concept of intimacy. It gives you a lot of pleasure to take a bath, so don’t we do it close to the window with light and air?”
To save on costs and lower the home’s carbon footprint, the architects bypassed the need for a heating system by devising a series of volumes that could trap heat in smaller spaces, like the wool-wrapped bedroom.
Project architects Studio Marshall Blecher and Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter opened up the center of the house, previously comprising a maze of fourteen small rooms, creating one large and airy kitchen and dining space with a high, chapel like ceiling. A six-meter-long concrete plinth standing at the center of the room which doubles as an island bench and dining table, had to be lowered into the house by a crane while the roof was being reconstructed.
This thatch-roofed brick cottage in Nieby, Germany, was originally built by tenant farmers or crofters from a nearby estate in the late 1800s. It stands on a small triangular plot of land surrounded by barley fields and faces toward the Geltinger Birk nature reserve. The home’s street-facing facade was preserved and restored with only a minimal, black-steel dormer window belying the more substantial alterations which open onto the private rear yard. A subtle black-framed addition containing an oak-lined living space is tucked under the thatched roof and opens onto a sunken timber terrace while large picture windows are cut into the historic brick volume in areas which had been damaged from the previous additions.
The interior contrasts the dark exterior with white plaster, allowing natural light to disperse throughout the home.
Custom oak cabinetry in the kitchenette was given a modern treatment to balance the more rustic elements in the setting, like the ceiling and antique table-turned-kitchen island. The faucet is by Kingston Brass.
A dry-stacked rock hearth supports a Charnwood freestanding wood stove, which was carefully chosen to fit the scale of the surroundings.
Reclaimed wood covers the ceiling in the main room and bedroom. The large white light fixture was reused from the barn’s previous incarnation, and the sectional is from Interior Define.
The Max-A studio is also built with a pine frame, though it has pine panelling on the ceiling, while the main house ceiling is painted a warm white.
The couple followed permaculture principles for their garden, complete with a robust compost system. You’ll also find an orchard, native prairie grasses, and a winter pond on the land.
The triangular shape creates a volume that feels simultaneously cozy and open.
The Alerce shingles change color when it rains, moving from red to grey. “It’s alive,” says Marambio.
“They really wanted to have tile in the kitchen and at the front door, but everyone disliked that hard edge line,” says Gregga. “Doing the organic edge of the tile helped make the entry space and kitchen feel like one, and then it disintegrates into the living and dining room.”
Dal Tile “Keystones” in Arctic White and Emerald cover the guest bathroom.
The powder room is wrapped in Josef Frank wallpaper.
The team painted the exterior brick after patching it in places, like the section left by the removal of the door. “We could find the exact texture of brick, that classic Roman running bond, but we could not find it in the right color,” says architect Kailin Gregga. Painting the entire exterior unifies the façade. Rich Brilliant Willing “Hoist” sconces in Black was also added.
The kitchen flooring is 24” x 24” DalTile Chadwick Charcoal Tile and the wall tile is by Heath Ceramics.
The brass backsplash was a risky experiment carried off by Natalie, who started with unlacquered 4x8 foot sheets, then gave them patina by covering them in vinegar, ketchup, and salt, and leaving them out in the sun. The resulting pattern was aligned as carefully as possible, and the surface sealed. “We just had to essentially cut the topography into a way that felt really great,” says Natalie.
Double doors open to the deck.
Two vintage Don Chadwich for Herman Miller chairs upholstered in Kvadrat sit in front of a walnut feature wall. The painting is by artist Kelly Zellers, whom Natalie has worked with extensively throughout her design career.
Moby naps in a patch of sun in the kitchen, where Gillian opted not to have a backsplash behind the sink to maximize the view of the "wild jungle landscape
"The sunken living room was my way of bringing Tom into my retro-hippie world,
Outdoor furniture from Frontgate sits on the dining terrace off the kitchen, whose sliders enable gatherings to move indoors and out.
A clear railing creates uninhibited views of the surroundings.
New windows and their views of the trees lend a treehouse feel to the interior, which is wrapped in wood and has heated slate floors, as well as a Jotul stove. “It's a little bit lighter, a little bit more fun, but it still has a richness that goes with the house,” says Pellegrini.
The arrangement of windows in the home creates a play of light and shadow and allows the family to experience different views as they move around the space. “It’s about creating a calm, comfortable home that is still dynamic,” says architect Line Solgaard. “There are 360-degree views but you don’t see in every direction at all times—there are moments of drama throughout.”
The enormous picture window in the living room frames spectacular views over the water, allowing the family to feel immersed in nature even in the wildest of weather.
The home features a combination of interior and exterior living spaces that afford privacy to the occupants. “There are social spaces for everyone to be together, but also spots outside the building where people can have a private coffee—and that’s so important,” says architect Line Solgaard.
The angled roof structure informs the interior spaces and helps to define the various zones. The higher ceilings above the dining area work to embrace the views, whilst the lower ceiling over the living space creates a cosy atmosphere.
The home is perched lightly on the site and the landscape has been integrated into the architecture through a sympathetic form and materiality, and the expansive windows. “We long for this untouched nature,” says architect Line Solgaard of the site. “It brings us calmness and maybe even helps us be more in touch with ourselves.”
The materials for the prefab were chosen to help the lodge blend into the wood. According to the architects, “the lodge features an intentionally limited palette of natural materials, including the same species of timber, western red cedar, on the external cladding and internal lining. Left unfinished, the exterior will weather naturally to a silver-gray color that is reminiscent of the local landscape, which will contrast the cozy, warmer tones of the interior."
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