The home reinterprets Scandinavian farmhouse forms to connect with its natural surroundings while providing a spacious and functional environment for an extended family. Designed for aging in place, the home focuses on comfort, energy efficiency, and long-term family use.
SITE
Located on a large lot with southern views overlooking Dyes Inlet in Silverdale, WA, this home is part of a family compound created from a larger parcel. Inspired by seaside Swedish farm complexes, the design establishes a cohesive relationship between the new residence and the renovated guest house while organizing the property into distinct zones. To the north, strategic landscaping buffers the home from surrounding development, enhancing privacy. To the south, the structure opens up to frame expansive views of the inlet.
PROGRAM
This is a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath home, offering both comfort and functionality when the owner’s extended family comes to visit. The design features single-level living with the living, kitchen, and dining spaces focused on the water. The private wing includes the couple’s primary suite, two guest bedrooms, and a shared bath. An upper attic area provides flexible space for an office and storage. The home serves as the central hub of the property, with the renovated farmhouse designated for the children and grandchildren.
DESIGN
The design follows the familiar outline of a Swedish farmhouse, composed of two gabled forms that cross to create a T-shaped plan. This arrangement defines an entry courtyard to the north and a long patio facing the water to the south. Inside, the experience is defined by a steady rhythm of low and tall spaces. Each wing ends in a vaulted, double-height room, and movement through the house shifts between these taller volumes and the more intimate areas in between.
Shared living spaces stretch along the east-west wing, opening to the patio, while the north-south wing holds the private quarters, with the primary bedroom set at the quiet southern end. The entry sits at the intersection and offers the first framed view of the shoreline upon entry. A loft above the foyer creates a moment of compression before the spaces rise again, setting up a spatial pattern where every path leads from lower spaces to double-height spaces. The rooms are connected volumetrically, but feel private and removed from one another.
Finishes reflect the owners’ appreciation for natural materials and regional influences, drawing from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Materiality is elemental, with wood, concrete, glass, and alder plywood used throughout. Material changes reinforce the spatial experience with wood and glass, defining a lower, grounded presence, ensuring a continuous dialogue between the home and the horizon.
PERFORMANCE
