Serene Scandinavian

urban retreat style study

The clients had a gentle, modern sensibility.  For many years, they had lived and raised a family in their four-story townhouse.  With their boys away to college, they wanted to re-work their living spaces to bring in more natural light and view and accommodate larger groups for casual entertaining.  They also wanted to provide outdoor space for a long-awaited pool area.

We set about re-working the existing living room, terrace and master bedroom above.  By very good fortune, the primary living and rear garden areas were raised to parlor level and looked upon a small terrace and the upper branches of mature trees in a neighbor’s garden. However, very little of the light or view was visible through the existing sliding door.

The project began by removing the entire rear wall and extending into the garden with a suite of eleven foot, floor-to-ceiling doors and windows.  This transparent wall of five maple-framed windows divides the tree top view – like the surfaces of an Asian screen.  A large portion of the glass wall slides away, allowing ceiling, wall and floor surfaces to flow from the room out to the garden.  From the new room, one can now appreciate unobstructed daylight and a surprisingly lush tree top view.  The subtle finish of the maple window frames, Venetian plaster walls and blue stone details lends a brilliance and warmth to this very minimal interior.  

A deep cantilever above the doors shelters a small terrace and reflecting pool.  The position of the overhang obscures a view of the third and fourth floors, giving the garden a more intimate atmosphere.  In season, doors open and the entire expanse offers a generous space for casual gatherings and the new pool below.