Photography by Jonny Valiant unless noted, courtesy of BarlisWedlick Architects.
Ian Hague needed a place to chill out. He also wanted to create a state-of-the-art, low-impact retreat and enlisted sustainability specialists BarlisWedlick Architects of NYC and Hudson, New York, for the job.
The 1 800 square foot structure is a passive house It meets a stringent set of architectural standards including a super insulated building envelope and constant fresh air...
...circulation that Barlis says decreases the energy required for heating by 90 percent and for cooling by 80 percent and we ve often seen even better results
Hague also likes color, so hints of navy and mustard were incorporated into the neutral backdrop, though only sparingly on the main floor to avoid competing with the view. The rug is a long-haired sheepskin from Sacco Carpet.
BarlisWedlick tucked the fridge and pantry into shiplap cabinetry and detailed blackened steel overhead shelving with sliding glass doors: “The architectural glass has an undulating pattern, so it acts like another window in the room, reflecting natural light from the main windows,” says Santos.
Another crucial element in the design vocabulary is shiplap paneling with a 1/6-inch seam/rabbet.
Photograph by Reto Guntli.
“This stair is like the host who welcomes you in and guides you through the space,” says Barlis of the angled design, which is painted a bright citrine to contrast with the “boulder-like slate-gray millwork.” The dining table light, a new addition to the room, is the French Ipso Facto Pendant from the 1970s.
Above L: The rocker in the lower-level guest room is a variation of the Carson Rocker made by Onefortythree, a husband and wife team in Las Vegas. Above R: In addition to the bookcase at the base of the stair, shelves are cleverly inset into the stair wall.
The primary bed is set in a millwork niche “so it feels like part of the architecture,” says Santos—and allows for unobtrusive bookshelves and closet storage on either side of the bed.
A macramé panel by Sally England takes the place of a headboard and lends texture to the tailored space.
In the primary bath, the designers planted a 68-inch-long Signature Hardware tub on a base of the same rough-sawn Eastern white pine used for the timbers (all of which are finished with LifeTime Wood Treatment, a stain Santos describes as “made of plant extracts and minerals”).
Navy and mustard make a bold reappearance in the guest room, furnished with West Elm’s Storage Platform Bed (no longer available).
Next to the guest room, there’s a TV room with a Neo Shaker Chair made of American black walnut.
The house’s upper level consists of the living area and an elevated bedroom and bath.
On the bottom floor: a guest room and TV room with a trio of beanbag chairs.