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Not every client-designer relationship would have thrived under such extreme circumstances, but Dovey credits Sarah and Ben’s attitude for the project’s success. “They were observant and thoughtful, and really took the time to ask all the right questions,” says Dovey. “In the end, it went so well just because of the great relationships.”
In their query letter, Ben and Sarah were clear that they wanted a home that could accommodate all of life’s messes. “We don't want a white display kitchen that only looks good when it's clean and not in use. We want our kitchen to be able to work hard. We love to cook and when we do, there are usually lots of things on the go and a mess being made.”
Both bedrooms now glory in the inlet views.
SHED embraced the angled corners with custom cabinetry. According to Hale, the inspiration images that the couple chose were “less American Midwest farmhouse, and more contemporary Scandinavian farmhouse,” which inspired the design team to consult Scandinavian farm layouts for the master plan.
In the kitchen, an “Alpine Mist’ Caesarstone slab tops Alder cabinets. A mint green custom steel hood conceals a Vent-a-Hood insert, and Ann Sacks ‘Context’ tile in Frost covers the backsplash.
There’s now a wood-paneled entry alcove inside the new front door, with a built-in bench, storage, and coat hooks.
SHED also installed a large dormer on this side of the building to fully accommodate the new upper level plan, and get views of the apple orchard on the other side of the building.
SHED converted the side door into the front door, adding a new entry sequence with a patio, landscaping, stairs, and a metal awning to protect the porch. Wide stairs and a patio lead down to new sliding glass door in the basement, which now has utility spaces and a media room/office. Many of the original window openings were kept on this façade and given new Andersen E-Series units. Two smaller openings were bricked in.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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