Courtyard House

A 60-year old tudor house is renovated to accommodate a growing family and a home-based travel business in an established Salt Lake neighborhood. The house’s unique original footprint with a garage out back and alley access on four sides allowed for the creation of a beautiful, sizable gallery and gathering space and the addition of a distinctive courtyard outside the east-facing wall of folding-glass doors.

This new heart of the home instantly created an organizing element for the family, separating the couple’s new office above the garage from the rest of the house. This allowed for a healthy separation between work and family life. It also created beautiful territorial views on both sides of the house.

The homeowner and architect had both spent time living in Japan earlier in their lives, and it was important to both that the clean lines of the Japanese aesthetic be part of the plan, while never letting things become too cold or industrial. In the end, the design and decor throughout the house is both minimalistic and modern, yet warm and inviting.