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A Sustainable Full-Build with Recycled & Reclaimed Materials

Handcrafted In La Conner

A new, owner-built “forever home” designed with sustainable practices and materials.

With an empty nest, these homeowners found themselves ready to build their very own forever home. Deciding on La Conner, Washington as the ideal place to settle in, they began evaluating what features they wanted and needed in their long-term home. We knew aging-in-place focused design would be essential to ensuring the home is comfortable and functional for years to come. The homeowners were also interested in incorporating sustainable elements that could reduce the home’s carbon and energy footprints.

The client, an experienced building tradesman, served as their own general contractor for this project. With the homeowners directly involved in the building process, this project was highly collaborative and now features many unique details as a result of tight-knit, flexible teamwork between our design teams and a hands-on client.

Aesthetics were just as important as functionality — and finding the balance between sustainability and a timeless style that would also age well was a top priority. To achieve a rustic yet modern aesthetic, we used natural, reclaimed, and recycled materials throughout the home. The floating staircase to the upper level of the home is built with slabs of fir for a classic Pacific Northwest aesthetic. Various reclaimed woods are used to create a patchwork finish for barndoors repeated throughout the home – a unique touch giving the space character and anchoring it to its location.

Handcrafted In La Conner – Board & Vellum
Split Style

Two intersecting volumes rising to opposing shed roofs give the home height and dimension, while the contrasting finishes form a natural, timeless palette. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Split Style

Two intersecting volumes rising to opposing shed roofs give the home height and dimension, while the contrasting finishes form a natural, timeless palette. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Handcrafted In La Conner – Board & Vellum
Backyard Perks

The backyard features a ground-level deck, plenty of green space, and landscaping that looks natural yet well-kempt. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Backyard Perks

The backyard features a ground-level deck, plenty of green space, and landscaping that looks natural yet well-kempt. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

South-facing windows and concrete floors accompanied with air-tight insulation of the exterior walls means the temperature can be easily and naturally regulated through passive solar design. Geothermal water heating heats water in a more eco-friendly way, and highly efficient appliances and PV electric panels also work to make this a highly resilient home.

The exterior of the home blends with the flowering landscaping, nested among tall evergreens. The muted material palette helps merge the home with the trees – almost suggesting it was meant to be there — and the angles at which the roofs intersect create a dynamic moment of interest like tree branches intertwining in the forest. In the back of the house, a spacious ground-level deck provides the homeowners with a secluded area to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Large glass doors help foster a seamless indoor-outdoor connection.

Natural, organic materials help make, the interior of the home feel warm, cozy, and inviting. The neutral walls and concrete flooring are complemented by the rich hues of wooden accents, like the window frames and heavy timber beams. The shed roofs and vaulted ceilings create varied room heights that help distinguish and compartmentalize spaces within the open floor plan without inhibiting the area’s flow. Tall, abundant windows work to both brighten the home and regulate its temperature.

Through close collaboration with the homeowners during the design and construction phases, we achieved a home that’s both highly functional, sustainable, and reflective of the original vision. Sustainable design methods and repurposed materials helped define the rustic aesthetic of the home, and will continue to accommodate this pair for years to come.

Handcrafted In La Conner – Board & Vellum
Creative Touches

The patterning of the wood grain of the floating stairs creates an organic contrast against the linear patchwork of the barndoor at the landing. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Creative Touches

The patterning of the wood grain of the floating stairs creates an organic contrast against the linear patchwork of the barndoor at the landing. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Handcrafted In La Conner – Board & Vellum
Lovely Lounge

Tall ceilings, a wood-burning stove, and warm, organic materials illuminated by natural light invigorate the living room with its own charm and sense of place. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Lovely Lounge

Tall ceilings, a wood-burning stove, and warm, organic materials illuminated by natural light invigorate the living room with its own charm and sense of place. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Handcrafted In La Conner – Board & Vellum
Reclaimed Materials

Sliding barn doors composed of recycled and repurposed wood are a special touch repeated throughout this home as a warm aesthetic link. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Reclaimed Materials

Sliding barn doors composed of recycled and repurposed wood are a special touch repeated throughout this home as a warm aesthetic link. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Handcrafted In La Conner – Board & Vellum
Fir Slab Open Stair

The rustic planks of the staircase are each made of a slab of fir, celebrating the uniqueness of the tree. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Fir Slab Open Stair

The rustic planks of the staircase are each made of a slab of fir, celebrating the uniqueness of the tree. Handcrafted in La Conner | Photo from project archive.

Notes & Credits
This project was built by the homeowners.
Photography from project archive.

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Our design services encompass architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture, with teams specializing in projects across the spectrum, from single-family homes to multifamily and mixed-use buildings, and from boutique commercial spaces to civic spaces, like parks. We love designing the integrated fabric of structures, spaces, and places that create vibrant neighborhoods.

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