Some houses talk about bringing nature into the home. This house puts you into nature with an extended deck that has the dimensions of a pirate's gangplank or a diving board. If you really want to get out there, get out there - and have a seat.
Sandler-Kilburn Architects designed a very modern house in a very natural setting. The chalet style has always worked in forested and rainy environments, but they did it using materials like steel and glass instead of logs and shakes. About the only places wood was used where in the ceilings and cabinetry. The result is a structure that weathers well, always looks modern, but also has reminders of warmth overhead or along the wall. Rather than keep to a strict A-frame, the roof over the front door sweeps into a curve akin to a ski jump.
It is also a practical house. The soapstone fireplace sits between the living room and kitchen, warming in all directions - just the way Benjamin Franklin intended. A steel and glass front door has an offset pivot that uses part of the door as a counterweight, making it easier to open. A-frames are notorious for having angled walls that are difficult to use for storage, so they left the space open to allow downstairs heat to rise to the second floor bedroom. In the bathroom, tile and glass are joined by a stainless steel soaking tub, which suggests being easy to clean. Head out to the garage and see that the same materials were used for a flat-roofed version that treats up to four vehicles with separate heat and water.
At its basics it is a 2 bedroom, 1.75 bath, 1,950 square foot house with an acre of land and an asking price of $875,000; but it is the style and innovation that distinguishes the house and the property.
· 26222 SE 152nd St, Issaquah [Estately]