“Cabin Porn: Inside” Is Here—and it’s a Treasure Trove of Outdoor Dreaminess

The clients of The Sanctuary, recent empty-nesters planning ahead to retirement, hoped to downsize and simplify in the design of their new Palo Alto home. When the clients purchased the property, an old wooden fence across the front yard and original house closed off the site from the street. Behind this rough and aged presentation however was an urban refuge of lush vegetation throughout the deep lot. This sense of discovery served as the original inspiration for the design of the house and directed both architect and client to its culmination. The proximity of the downtown Palo Alto area by foot and bike was fundamental to the clients’ decision to purchase this lot, and their belief in building to a higher density in an urban setting lead to the inclusion of a second story apartment. The couple fell in love with the overgrown garden and its obvious potential, approaching Ground Studio Landscape to help them enhance the landscape; retaining scenes of serenity and surprise while creating more of a cohesive and modern feel. Through their collaboration with Ground Studio Landscape, the clients connected with our firm, bringing with them a desire to design a long-lasting modern house that fit comfortably into the surrounding neighborhood while featuring its unique and charming landscape. The house is sited quietly behind the large heritage oak tree with its canopy stretching across the generously sized front yard. After passing under its branches, guests are lead through a series of courtyards and view gardens that weave through the undulating footprint of the building. Each interior space is paired with its own landscape moment, allowing the architecture and landscape to flow into each other. The structure floats on piers, allowing the building to participate in dialogue with the trees on site while protecting the root areas. The floor plate projects beyond the building envelope and dissolves into balconies to blur the sense of indoor/outdoor while at the same time lifting the building up from the ground. Even the driveway is constructed out of floating concrete structural slabs supported on piers to minimize the impact on the heritage oak tree. By expanding the living area to spill into the outdoor spaces, our teams provided ample room for the clients to entertain their ever expanding family. Three pavilions span the depth of the lot. The thoughtfully placed second story apartment is designed for rentals. Below, board-formed concrete walls serve as organizing elements in the main residence which separate private from public areas. Diffused natural light streams into the space throughout the day, working gently with the clean material palette of concrete and Alaskan yellow cedar. The Sanctuary was constructed as a modern house that allows the landscape to speak first. The design features its many hidden courtyards, inviting guests to experience the same sense of wonder that first drew our clients to this urban oasis.

Hygge Supply completed this ultimate kit home in June 2019 and began offering overnight stays to potential clients and design enthusiasts on July 1. Designed and built with the intention of being an experiential showroom for potential clients, Hygge Supply founder and designer, Kelly Sean Karcher, envisioned the home to incorporate those materials and products that fell in line both aesthetically and ethically with principles of the Hygge Supply brand. “I wanted this home to highlight the best of Hygge Supply. That included visually the design of the home, practically with the simplicity of the systems used to construct the home, and lastly, with the products and materials we used in the home. We wanted to partner with companies who shared not only a similar design philosophy, but that also were environmentally responsible and sustainable,” Karcher stated. Karcher and team partnered with several different companies to bring the home to life. On the exterior, Hygge Supply partnered with Thermory for the responsibly sourced, chemical-free spruce cladding. Hygge also used Marvin for all windows and doors in the home, which are produced in the US using environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. On the interior, Hygge partnered with sustainable architectural material distributor, Cara Green, to source solid surface Durat countertops, which are made from 30-50% recycled hard plastics and are 100% recyclable. Low-VOC C2 Luxe paint was used throughout the home. All cabinets, vanities, and kitchen islands are designed and produced by Hygge Supply, using no-VOC powder coat finishes. Hygge Supply partnered exclusively with Rove Concepts for the interior furnishings. With a focus on modern contemporary and Nordic designs, Rove Concepts aligned with the Scandinavian inspiration that drove Karcher to develop Hygge Supply. “I was drawn to the clean lines and neutral tones of Rove Concepts. The design of the furniture felt like it could be a natural extension of the home,” Karcher said. “At Hygge Supply, we believe in comfortable minimalism and Rove Concepts really offered that to us in statement pieces that were warm and inviting and could stand on their own.” Hygge Supply also partnered with Fermob to furnish the exterior, creating an inviting and elegant outdoor living and dining area in the large covered porch. Followers of the company can book a visit to the 3 bedroom (there is a bunk space), 2.5 bathroom house managed by the short-term rental arm of the company Hygge Stay. Take a look at our Collections category to book through Dwell Travel.

An entryway table can be both practical and stylish. A welcoming furnishing with the power to set the design story for your home, this piece is also a place where you can stash keys, mail and other essentials. At the same time, avoiding a cluttered look is of utmost importance. Plants, artwork, decorative bowls and […]

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