Shutter House

Small Project

The 250-square-foot master suite addition transformed this dated house into a contemporary zen-like home that embraced the neighborhood and provides privacy. The highlight of the expanded space is the second-floor porch—that acts as an intermediary space from the street to the private master suite behind. The porch extends across the front of the house, atop the existing garage. The homeowner maintains privacy, while still enjoying light, air and views to the neighborhood through beautifully crafted wood shutters that wrap the porch. When the shutters are open, the interior of the porch blends seamlessly with the new exterior and provide depth to the front. Building out above the garage, the architects expanded the master suite by 250 square-feet with a new bathroom, sitting room, expanded closets and additional windows for the bedroom itself.

By remodeling and adding onto this 2,300-square-foot house, the architects transformed an outdated 60’s French Norman House into a contemporary home with a Zen feel. The brick-and-shingle mansard-roofed house was updated by covering the existing brick with horizontal western red cedar and new windows throughout. Cedar lap siding, Douglas fir columns and beams, and zinc-coated aluminum roof replaced the old mansard roof and siding. The mix of warm woods, horizontality, and custom shutters contribute to the boathouse feeling, while shoji-screen like garage door, post-and-beam construction, crafted hardware and relationship to nature, help define the building as a Zen-like modern home. This aesthetic is coordinated into the landscape with carefully placed garden elements, rocks, stones, and plantings in the lush setting. Douglas fir flooring, columns, windows, and stair treads continue the warm, natural feeling throughout the house. Downstairs, the new opened floor plan reflects a more contemporary lifestyle. Living, dining and kitchen merge into each other with the addition of beams and columns framing entryways and openings replacing walls. Relating to the exterior construction, they are joined with metal ties and often protrude beyond their vertical mates. Connecting the two floors is a new open stairway made of Douglas fir treads, cable rail, metal plate and exposed hardware.

BEFORE