Yosemite Waterfall House: The Observatory

Built in 1979 and perched at the lip of a waterfall on the border of Yosemite National Park, this rustic, Northern California-style stick-framed cabin had promising bones and all the perks of proximity to nature. However, by the time its new owners took possession in 2018, it had fallen into disrepair.

When Red Dot Studio originally came on board, its brief was to renovate the house into a durable and welcoming vacation (and part-time rental) home on a budget. However, this plan evolved over the course of the project as the owners became involved with the work themselves and fell in love with the cabin to the extent they eventually decided to make it their primary residence.

Led by designer Camille Peignet, the team approached the project with a focus on deepening the cabin's visual and physical connection with the surrounding landscape.

"The house wasn't a simple square, so it made some angles that didn't feel natural," says Peignet. "But when we looked at the footprint, we had this idea of making "a cabin in the trees," a design concept we nicknamed "the Observatory" because it would allow you to observe nature to all sides of the house."

One of the first challenges the architects had to grapple with was stabilizing the outdoor decks that had been one of the property's main selling points.

Built on a vertiginous slope, the house rests on a deep basement, below which are rocks and then water. While this had allowed its original deck to overlook the waterfall, the structure had not been maintained and was in such poor shape that it could only be demolished.

In order to preserve the extraordinary vantage point, the architects and contractor worked closely with a structural engineer to find better anchor points for each post. They then rebuilt the deck completely to give it strength and long-term stability.

They also extended it to circle the cliff-side edge of the house, creating a variety of outdoor spaces. Around the view-facing periphery, Peignet turned two windows into glass doors and two doors into windows, as well as enlarging existing windows and adding four more, ensuring there is now both visual and physical access from multiple points inside the house.

The inside of the house had experienced a similar lack of upkeep to the deck. It received very little natural light, and the living spaces were unnecessarily convoluted and boxed in.

"It didn't feel like one cohesive house, but lots of small corners and intricate cabinets, with a layout that didn't make the most of the space or work for the uncomplicated way the owners live their day-to-day lives," says Peignet. "Our goal here was to really open everything up, simplify it and let the light in."

The first step she took was removing 13 walled closets and rebuilding three new closet spaces where the owners needed them in the bedrooms and laundry.

This consolidation of space gave the architects enough room to create an angled hallway linking the bedroom wings, which now allows the flow of foot traffic to operate outside of the living room and dining areas. The reconfigured floor plan created space for a second, en-suite bathroom, giving the residents greater flexibility.

Another deceptively simple move was to create an angle in the formerly low, flat ceiling over the kitchen and main living area. While the original trusses weren't appealing enough to expose, there was enough space for the team to insert new trusses in order to vault the ceiling, which lent height and character to the space, giving it the look and feel of a traditional "great room."

In the kitchen, the layout was also reconfigured to give access to the deck and outdoor dining area and accommodate a large dining table to provide an anchor for the space. Peignet specified simple white Ikea cabinets but upgraded them with a terrazzo countertop to add an organic feel to the surface and connect the kitchen to the stone fireplace in the living room.

The architects used robust fittings and materials throughout the house, including the reclaimed wood shelves in the kitchen and bathrooms that add an organic, handcrafted element.

"We were looking for the right balance between quiet and lively materials and simple shapes, with a little variation in colors and patterns," says Peignet. Overall, her goal was to make the simple space warm and welcoming, using a neutral palette with Japanese and Scandinavian elements that let the landscape outside speak for itself.

"Now, when you enter the cabin, you immediately arrive at the heart of the home," says Peignet. "Rather than being contained in a small space, it's like being at the intersection of the views out to the treetops in all four directions."