Contemporary Guesthouse in Wood and Glass Flows into the Garden

A guest house that has a distinctly contemporary character and yet seamlessly integrates both with the main house that is more traditional and a lush green garden, the Paddock Brow Guesthouse does it all! Designed by Blee Halligan Architects for a homeowner who traveled a lot before finally coming back to his roots in UK, the guest house feels smart, engaging and there is no lack of natural light in here. Glass walls along with floor-to-ceiling glass windows bring light indoors with ease even as track lighting takes over after sunset. Transition between the two is seamless; much like the flow of interior between the old and the new sections.

Contemporary Paddock Brow Guesthouse flows into the garden outside

The guesthouse was designed intentionally with an open plan to ensure that it is visually connected with the garden at all times. This gives each room a backdrop that constantly changes as seasons pass by and the neutral interior feels energetic and fresh. Local conservation guidelines were strictly adhered to while planning for the new guesthouse with life here seeming cheerful and relaxing. It is a wood and white color scheme that dominates the interior with pops of yellow adding accent charm to an otherwise neutral setting. [Photography: Sarah Blee Photography]

RELATED: Glass, Wood and Steel: Contemporary Rear Extension to Cramped London Home

Floor-to-ceiling glass window brings light into the banquette styled dining area
Large glass windows usher ample light into the modern white bedroom
Lower level glass walls stand in contrast to the wooden structure above
Modern guest house added to classic British home
Skylight illuminates the staircase while bringing light to the lower level
White and wood workstation design feels contemporary and smart

We have focused on ensuring the guesthouse is immersed in the orchard and garden to a greater extent than the existing house. This has been achieved by carefully considering levels, thresholds and views, which will ensure an enhanced living experience once the building is complete, whilst also sitting the building sensitively with regard to local Conservation Area guidelines.

RELATED: Mid-Century Modern Aesthetics Shape Posh Texas Home In Wood, Glass And Steel

Wood and glass guest house extension of British home
Yellow brings accent beauty to the bedroom in white
Floor tiles add pattern to the entryway with ease
Design plan of Paddock Brow Guesthouse in UK

You’re reading Contemporary Guesthouse in Wood and Glass Flows into the Garden, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Similar Posts

  • Cache House

    Heated radiant floors, high-design fittings, and a communal spirit rooted in Jackson Hole’s homesteading history await the modern-day explorer at the recently opened Cache House, an elegant new hostel at the heart of the celebrated Wyoming Valley. Like its sister property Anvil, a 50-room hotel located directly above, Cache House is also the work of Brooklyn-based Studio Tack. The space, which once served as a blacksmith shop and later a hostel in the 1990s, was gut-renovated and infused with a new minimalist aesthetic imbued with warm and welcoming, rustic touches.

  • Good Haus

    The Good Haus celebrates the intersection between design and performance – and seeks to be an example of a “good house”. The house is the family home of principals Mela Breen and David Good (designer and builder) – and playfully gets it’s moniker from Dave’s last name. So what is our idea of a good house? In this case it is one that is pushing the possibilities of a site specific design while holding itself accountable to reaching the highest level of energy efficiency. Our good house is one that embodies our beliefs about resiliency, efficiency, health and comfort, beauty and playfulness. The DNA for the Good Haus is established by the site, a steep and rocky hillside that spills down onto a small neighboring foothill meadow. A limited buildable footprint, season drainage concerns, and an inviting flat outcrop of granite drove the initial design. Two intersecting geometric volumes were conceived, each reaching out to connect the building to the landscape, each intersecting the other and providing counter balance. The main first floor volume is a long south facing rectangle that stretches and anchors in the granite. A deep west facing porch protects the house from overheating, bridges a rocky drainage and links the open floor plan to the landscape with a large outdoor living space. The second floor volume runs perpendicular to the main living space and cantilevers to create a covered north entry, while a balcony on the south side cantilevers towards the oak canopy – creating a sense that the master bedroom is in a tree house. The exterior material pallet is in keeping with our love for the handmade modern. Cedar siding from trees grown on Mela’s childhood property and milled by her father is mixed with standing seam metal roofing that turns downing to clad the walls as a way to articulate the building form. Because the topography falls roughly 12’ over the relatively narrow width of the house, and the granite spine to the west hinted at what might lay below the soils (giant boulders and bedrock), we opted to build the first floor primarily on a steel pier and beam structure with a metal pan deck. This allows the building to float above the rocky drainage. The complexity of the design, with its cantilevers and steel deck foundation, require a heightened attention to the air sealing and insulation details. The super insulated, air-tight building envelope is wrapped in exterior Rockwool insulation, all the connections between interior and exterior structural members are meticulously detailed to avoid thermal bridges, and triple pane European windows and doors are used to maximize light, comfort, and performance. A CO2 heat pump water heater provides the most efficient domestic hot water delivery. Balanced heat recovery ventilation offers high indoor air quality and uniform temperature distribution. Indoor climate control is provided by super efficient ductless mini splits. A 6.5 kw roof mounted photovoltaic system is installed to offset the home’s energy usage (including the charging of an electric car) – creating a zero net energy building.