The reading nook corridor has a sizeable sliding glass door that pockets into more glass, with thresholds flush between the cork floors on the interior and the large format porcelain tile on the exterior. The center of the atrium is filled with raked 1/8” Desert Gold crushed granite.

The raked red cedar ceiling is one of the couple’s favorite aspects of the home. They are particularly enamored with “the small shadow lines we created in the junction between the raked ceiling and the plaster bulk heads…it’s such a tiny detail that tightens everything up.”

Kitchen & Dining Room with Raked Ceilings & High Window

Living Room with Fireplace, Raked Ceilings & Concrete Rendered Credenza

Second Living Room through to Dining Room with Raked Ceiling, Pool & Outdoor Entertaining

The front door leads into a tall space where the ceiling rakes upwards toward a generous feature window.

“Unlike other homes designed by Wright, the top of the gable is raked inward to allow for more natural light at the top of the room,” says the firm.

Positioned towards the north, raked ceilings and windows draw natural light into the living area, while eaves and awnings block the harsh summer sun.

A "raked roof" promotes daylighting, while a 6Kw photovoltaic solar array with 4.8Kw battery storage generates clean energy. The front porch encourages socializing with the neighbors.

Now, a custom, steel-clad fireplace chimney stretches over 4.5 meters tall and imparts a sense of hygge. It was "designed as a contemporary take on the pressed copper flues typical of the era, while complementing and increasing the effect of the existing raked ceilings to the space," says the firm.

Thomas used a rake to score the concrete path to the front door. Holes occurred when the rake caught a stone. “It’s a fabric of mistakes,” he says.

Upon entry, a sense of space and connection with the outdoors is evident. This was achieved with high raking ceilings and large clerestory windows, carefully placed to take in the rugged peak views. At the rear of the home, we created two north facing sheltered, private courtyard areas that connect to the living, kitchen and rumpus.

Handy Rakes by Christopher Specce

Early morning light raking the rammed earth walls.

closer view of rake parapet creating a flush solar panel aesthetic

The architects defined the new entry sequence with black-stained paneling, inserted within a white oak volume that has a vertical-raked pattern to the wood.

"Everyone who visits speaks of the warmth created by the timber lining boards and the interest of the raked ceiling in the kitchen,” says homeowner Sarah.

The front door leads into a tall space where the ceiling rakes upwards toward a generous feature window.

The primary bedroom features narrow frosted glazing in the corners of the room, allowing diffused natural daylight to rake the walls during the day.

The Triplet Toy from Kid O is a shovel, sifter, and rake, all in one. The multifunctional toy is a perfect companion for playing at the beach.

Reilly created her own version of a Japanese garden in the front of the house with a rock she chose from a local landscaping company. “It really does clear your mind when you focus on raking the sand.”

parapets on the rake edge & peak of the roof, and hidden gutter make this 16KW solar array look like the roof surface itself

A detail shot of the kitchenette reveals how light from the kitchen skylight rakes across the space in a dramatic effect, casting an interplay of geometric shapes

The primary bedroom at the CALX Cabin. Note the slender frosted windows that disconnect the walls and allow natural light into the space, raking the rammed earth and highlighting the texture.

Find balance with this large format stone that harmoniously blends into a space, but adds the light texture reminiscent of gently raked sand in a zen garden. Profile shown here in Burlap.

Find balance with this large format stone that harmoniously blends into a space, but adds the light texture reminiscent of gently raked sand in a zen garden. Profile shown here in Nickel.

The secondary loft, located over the living room, is a perfect retreat for guests or leaves room for an expanding family. Natural light is brought in by the rake windows that complement and shadow the roof line.

Find balance with this large format stone that harmoniously blends into a space, but adds the light texture reminiscent of gently raked sand in a zen garden. Profile shown here in Soft Light.

To withstand the harsh mountain environment, durable, maintenance free materials were utilized. Inspired by the wavy, deposited sands along the river bank the raked stucco provided an organic, textured, and durable surface.

As an exercise honoring the Shaker tradition, Rhode Island-based designer Chris Specce created a series of Handy Rakes as part of a workshop and exhibition in collaboration with the Hancock Shaker Village and the Mt. Lebanon Shaker Museum.

This is the 'Hay Rake' feature that is key to the whole design. Again traditional joinery has been used, in this case its a pegged double mortise and tenon between the bent aluminum and the bent laminated ash stretcher.

Primary Bath en Suite Vanity - The backsplash pulls green from the canopy of trees seen out the window & offers subtle texture reminiscent of a raked, zen, sand garden (karesansui garden).

Raked milling places even reliefs across the surface of each plank leaving deep grooves where light and shadow play. The resulting striped pattern can be matched, rotated, or even sporadically sprinkled, throughout a project. Shown here on AG Oak.

Of-the-moment designers Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi have been raking in awards and collaborating with renowned companies like Christopher Farr, Gubi, and Ligne Roset. The duo created the three-legged Key table, which has a wood top ($199).

On the opposite side of the courtyard, an old garage has been rebuilt and one can still see the raked garage roof shape at the bottom of the attic studio that was added over the garage. Woollahra Council was very supportive of this project and provided an unconditional approval in record time. © Justin Alexander