If ever a home reflected Charles Eames’ famous quote “Take your pleasure seriously,” it is this newly built cedar, glass and concrete hideaway on Washington’s fjord-like Hood Canal. “The clients sought a place where they could spend time immersed in nature,” says architect Les Eerkes. A 10-acre, lushly forested site with views of the Olympic Mountains made the goal easy to achieve.
The new house sits alongside the canal on the footprint of a 1940s fisherman’s cabin, and the owners, a couple who are active outdoorsmen, were eager to enjoy all the water had to offer. “They didn’t talk about the look they wanted; they laid out how they wanted to live—shrimping, harvesting oysters, swimming, walking in the forest,” Eerkes explains. Also important was bringing the spirit of the site inside the new dwelling. One of the owners says, “We spent the first few months in the old cabin and knew we wanted to maximize the views across the water, but we also wanted the feeling of ‘forest bathing.’ We like both views equally, so we wanted glass and more glass.”
To begin the project, Eerkes and his team studied the site’s ecological zones so they could create ways for the couple to be in each one. “Water, beach, foreshore and forest define the character of the property, and we sought to choreograph a sequence of spaces that engages all of these environments,” says the architect, who worked with general contractor Lionel Halvorsen on the build. Eerkes designed the lower-level spaces—such as a spa and an outdoor lounge area—to open to the beach, which serves as a launch point for kayaks and fishing excursions. “It creates a social hub at the water’s edge,” he says. The owner adds, “We love to invite folks in from the water for a bevvy and a chat.”
Home Details
Architecture:
Les Eerkes, Eerkes Architects
Interior Design:
Charlie Hellstern, Charlie Hellstern Interior Design
Home Builder:
Steve Fradkin and Lionel Halvorsen, Fradkin Fine Construction, Inc.
Landscape Architecture:
Brian Gregory, Gregory Landscape Architecture, and Randy Allworth, Allworth Design
The dining room table was designed by the architect. Surrounding it are Troscan chairs with a Phasmida light fixture by Christopher Boots overhead. In the living room beyond are a Liaigre sectional, a Link armchair and an Arteriors side table. On the glass-topped Berman Rosetti console behind the sofa is a lamp by Natan Moss Design.
Counter stools by Berman Rosetti line the kitchen island. The pendant lights above are by KDLN. The stained rift-cut white oak cabinets were built by Magraw Zecha; some have blackened-steel faces crafted by Ryan Landworth. The Corsano faucet is by California Faucets.
The kitchen’s Calacatta Monaco quartzite countertops meet a blackened-steel backsplash and range hood by Ryan Landworth. The range is by Wolf, and the wool-and-silk runner is from Driscoll Robbins.
Weathered teak lounge chairs and a side table by Link were chosen for the kitchen’s deck. The chair cushions are made with a Larsen fabric. The floor-to-ceiling glass door is by Fleetwood Windows & Doors.
On the bed in the primary suite are a Libeco Home coverlet, Matouk cashmere blanket and lumbar pillow from Trammell-Gagné. The Anees Furniture & Design bench is upholstered with a Romo fabric. The rug is by Stark, and the ceiling fan is by Minka-Aire.
In the primary bathroom, a Cascade Architectural chain mail curtain separates the Victoria + Albert tub from a vanity constructed by Magraw Zecha and topped by an MTI Baths counter with integral sinks. The Sento faucets are by Graff, and custom mirrors are flanked by Sonneman sconces. A Soho Home sculpture sits between them.
“The home offers not only a place to gather, but a connection to the rhythms of tide, forest and mountain that define life along Hood Canal,” says architect Les Eerkes. On the fireplace ledge is a vessel by Tori Karpenko from Traver Gallery. Fenestration is by Fleetwood Windows & Doors.
Throughout, the materials palette “draws directly from the shoreline and forest,” Eerkes notes, adding how the cast-in-place concrete on the exterior echoes the color of the sand.
Near the hot tub are weathered teak chaises by Link. “You’re immersed in the location here,” shares interior designer Charlie Hellstern. “There’s a lovely connection between inside and outside.”
While the lower floor is given over to relaxation, the main floor strikes a more refined note with its pavilion-like great room that encompasses a living space with a large fireplace (an irresistible lure on chilly evenings), kitchen and dining area. Its glass walls make it seem as if it’s floating above the waves. “At high tide, it feels like a houseboat,” the owner says. Eerkes set the sleeping quarters behind the public areas, elevating the spaces roughly 12 feet above ground, which “allows the landscape to flow beneath,” he notes. Working with landscape architects Brian Gregory and Randy Allworth, the homeowners rewilded the property with native ferns and vine maples, allowing the building and landscaping to gracefully blend into nature.
As the house took shape, the owners brought on now-retired designer Susan Schwab to initiate the project, with designer Charlie Hellstern joining the team later to realize the vision and to infuse the house with the spirit of the region. “Our goal was to let the land lead,” Hellstern says. “With Les’ architecture dissolving the boundary between indoors and out, the furnishings are intentionally restrained. Organic textures and a palette drawn from nature ground the interiors in the landscape.” Hellstern knit the spaces to the views with tactile materials, such as woven rugs and wallcoverings, and added natural finishes like cork. She also curated an art collection, including a painted wood sculpture honoring the Methow people by artist Tori Karpenko and cast-glass baskets by Tlingit artist Preston Singletary, that is rooted in local traditions that reference the region’s Native American history.
Together, the elements of location, leisure and recreation entwine in this house to live up to Eames’ directive to revere life’s pleasures. “Architecture has the potential to give people that ‘I’m in awe of this place’ moment, and we created a really interesting tangle of nature and architecture here,” Eerkes reflects. When the homeowners gather friends and family for an afternoon of paddling or a dinner of freshly caught fish, it’s picture perfect. So much so that a film director scouted the house for a Pacific Northwest-set thriller. However, the couple declined—they couldn’t bear to part with the home, even for a few months.
On the bed in the primary suite are a Libeco Home coverlet, Matouk cashmere blanket and lumbar pillow from Trammell-Gagné. The Anees Furniture & Design bench is upholstered with a Romo fabric. The rug is by Stark, and the ceiling fan is by Minka-Aire.