The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Robert Radifera Photography
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped light wood floor and brown floor dining room remodel in DC Metro with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, beige cabinets, quartzite countertops, gray backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white walls

VHT
Trendy stone patio photo in Chicago

A clean, contemporary Snowmass home that truly speaks for itself. Completed in 2016. Many thanks to Karen White Interior Design for her stunning work on this project.

Transitional light wood floor kitchen photo in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Inspiration for a contemporary concrete floor and gray floor great room remodel in Seattle with white walls

Kerri Fukui
Inspiration for a mid-sized scandinavian l-shaped gray floor and concrete floor kitchen remodel in Salt Lake City with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, an island, white countertops, a single-bowl sink, mosaic tile backsplash and paneled appliances

Example of a beach style light wood floor open concept kitchen design in New York with an undermount sink, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and white countertops

Large farmhouse l-shaped medium tone wood floor and orange floor kitchen photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, marble countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photos by John Woodcock
Kids' room - transitional kids' room idea in Phoenix

Ash Creek Photography
Mid-sized transitional galley light wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, metal backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

Example of a transitional dining room design in Charleston with gray walls

Stone: Oyster - Cut Coarse Stone Cut Coarse Stone is reminiscent of a saw-cut Turkish Limestone. The highly textural and yet contemporary linear-style installs with a clean, dry-stack application. This stone is the perfect scale for an efficient installation, appealing to both commercial and residential exteriors and interiors. The stones include three different heights of 3″, 6″ and 9″ and various lengths from 12″ to 24″. The muted color palette is indicative of natural limestone. Get a Sample of Oyster: http://www.eldoradostone.com/products/cut-coarse-stone/oyster/

Photo by Brett Beyer
Trendy single-wall gray floor kitchen photo in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and black countertops

Elliott Johnson Photography
Example of a cottage gray two-story exterior home design in San Luis Obispo

Eat-in kitchen - huge contemporary marble floor eat-in kitchen idea in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island, a double-bowl sink, brown cabinets and white countertops

Stone: Casa Blanca - RoughCut. RoughCut mimics limestone with its embedded, fossilized artifacts and roughly cleaved, pronounced face. Shaped for bold, traditional statements with clean contemporary lines, RoughCut ranges in heights from 2″ to 11″ and lengths from 2″ to over 18″. The color palettes contain blonds, russet, and cool grays. Get a Sample of RoughCut: http://shop.eldoradostone.com/products/rough-cut-sample

Leanna Rathkelly Cabinets: Rift Cut White Oak - Crystal Stain by Thetis Cove Joinery, Victoria, BC Countertop: Caesarstone "Bianco Drift" by StoneAge Marble and Granite Backsplash: Neolith by Thesize Gama Colorfeel - Nieve Paint: Benjamin Moore - Strand of Pearls- CSP - 395

Staircase - contemporary staircase idea in Sydney