The prospect of retirement doesn’t just signal the end of a career; it offers the chance to recalibrate and re-prioritize in life.
15 Modern Homes with Cedar Facades
July 9, 2015
Charred, stained, bleached, or untreated, the seemingly endless aesthetic options of cedar makes it an appealing building material.
In the 1940s, the distinguished Canadian architect John Bland designed an elegant vacation house near Lake Masson in Quebec. Seven decades later, the midcentury gem was at risk for demolition. Architect Alain Carle revived the home’s exterior by recladding it in fresh cedar planks, local stone, and black anodized aluminum. He also replaced the original windows—all damaged—and changed the sizes of some to respond better to the outdoors.
Originally appeared in Midcentury Gem in Canada Saved from the Wrecking Ball
This New Zealand "bach," located on a remote island 62 miles from the coast of Auckland and off the electricity grid, is designed around the rituals of communal food preparation, dining, and sleeping, and to be occupied for short periods of time. The structure consists of two rectangular, cedar-clad pavilions of different lengths, connected by a walkway that is permeable to the elements.
Photo by
Originally appeared in Off-the-Grid Island House in New Zealand Connects with the Outdoors
Laura Sohn and Carlos Anderson gave their eastern Tennessee neighbors nothing to complain about when they, with the help of local firm Sanders Pace Architecture, constructed a modern cabin nestled in a copse of cedar trees, hardly visible from the road. In fact, the 2,500-square-foot house—a modern rendition of a dogtrot, spliced into a Y shape and clad in black metal and western red cedar—attracts far less attention than its nearest neighbor, an abandoned farmhouse from the Civil War.
Photo by
Originally appeared in The Modern Home with Southern Charm
With its tall silhouette, narrow upper window, and blank face, this house in the Auckland suburb of Waterview could almost be a utility building, were it not covered in cedar weatherboards. Architect Andrew Lister designed the wedge-shaped building for actor Yuri Kinugawa and film producer Owen Hughes, with a high ceiling stud, open-plan interior, and a deck flush with the ground floor, based on the principles of the Direct Compass, a Japanese discipline related to feng shui.
Photo by
Originally appeared in This Japanese-Style Box Home Boasts a Two-Story Bookcase
In the countryside near Oxford, England, Adrian James Architects designed a cedar-clad house that achieves architectural distinction using prefabricated elements. Built out of flat-packed, insulated panels, the home cantilevers over a concrete wall, creating a captivating entrance.
Photo by
Originally appeared in Scenic Country Home Made of Flat-Packed Panels
A Connecticut home with a notable architectural legacy gets an expansive update for a family of six. Gray Organschi took down this worn-out 1970s summer home and reinvented it as a serene pair of bleached cedar volumes connected by a glass bridge.
Photo by
Originally appeared in Waterfront Views Make This Vacation Home a Relaxing Retreat
The San Francisco residence architect Cary Bernstein revamped for Scott Croyle and his family is an exercise in hide-and-seek. The 1,800-square-foot residence, through the ingenious use of natural materials and space-saving design, feels expansive. Ironspot clay tile and FSC-certified cedar clads the facade.
Photo by
Originally appeared in A Meticulous Renovation Turns a Run-Down House Into a Storage-Smart Gem
Neighborliness can seem like a thing of the past in many suburbs today, a trend that architects Andrew Maynard and Mark Austin were hoping to counter when they approached the renovation and extension of a weatherboard home outside Melbourne for a family. Instead of designing another closed-off contemporary work of architecture, the architects created a village, wherein a series of friendly, gabled structures lead out from the original house and border an open garden. Its tiny houses are clad in white steel panels and western red cedar shingles, contrasting materials that emphasize their geometric forms.
Photo by
Originally appeared in Clever House Resembles an Entire Village
Los Angeles-based firm Anonymous Architects cantilevered side-by-side houses over two steep lots in Los Angeles's Mount Washington neighborhood. Each canyon-side site measures roughly 2,000 square feet and, once zoning and land-use regulations were taken into account, left room for a maximum footprint of just 600-square-feet for each building. The two separate structures were given a visual unity by cladding them with a specially fire-treated cedar siding on the exterior.
Photo by
Originally appeared in Twin Houses on Tiny Lots Stretch Outward for Space
Architect Bergendy Cooke is an admirer of the strong, sculptural architectural forms that appear in Japanese and Spanish architecture. Outside Queenstown, New Zealand, she put her ideas into practice in a home that would be the benchmark for bc+a studio, her own venture. Clad in black-stained cedar, the monolithic family home rises from its alpine setting.
Photo by
Originally appeared in This Kid-Friendly Home is Full of Surprises
Emerging gracefully from an overgrown meadow on Chappaquiddick Island near Edgartown, Massachusetts, a family vacation home by Peter Rose + Partners is bound to the local flora and fauna through smart design decisions. The 6,000-square-foot main residence is the focal point of the site plan, which also includes a 630-square-foot-garage, 130-square-foot boat shed and 270-square-foot storage shed, all of which blend into the site and offer views of Nantucket and Cape Pogue Bay to the east. Exterior walls are clad in an sealed, unpainted western red cedar to mirror the colors of the site’s tawny meadows.
Courtesy of
Peter Vanderwarker
Originally appeared in New England Vacation Home Emphasizes Island Breeze and Spectacular Views
A couple embarks on a new life together by establishing a homestead on a dilapidated lot in a buzzworthy corner of San Francisco’s Mission District. Working with architect Todd Davis, the couple decided to cut the bunker-like edifice in half and use it as an outdoor dining area that opens to a courtyard. Red cedar planks, added inside and out, would tie the home's three structures together.
Photo by
Originally appeared in This Couple Resists Demolition and Revives an Abandoned Compound
Architect Thor Olav Solbjør doesn’t see wood as just another material choice, he sees it as a way to “communicate with the surroundings.” Tasked with building a 750-square-foot addition to a country home in Jar, Norway, set amid pine forests, his team at SAAHA turned to charred cedar, a traditional Japanese building material created with charcoal, to create a simple, striking extension.
Courtesy of
Are Carlsen
Originally appeared in Charred Cedar Wraps A Stunning Minimalist Addition in Norway
When most people think of Cape Cod, they imagine sand, shells, and waves. But much of the promontory is forested, and it was on a woodsy hilltop in Truro that architect Mark Hammer was tasked with building a weekend retreat. To make the most of the setting, he raised living and dining spaces to the second level, creating an "upside down" cabin that lets residents take in seaside views over the tree tops. White and red cedar boards—typical Cape Cod materials—clad the exterior.
Courtesy of
Hammer Architects
Originally appeared in A Modern Take on the Gabled Cabin in Cape Cod
Architects David Battersby and Heather Howat were tasked with perching a 3,500-square-foot vacation house on a steep, remote site overlooking British Columbia’s Center Bay. The house cantilevers out over the landscape for unimpeded views. The exterior materials reflect the surrounding environment. Vertical, stained cedar siding, installed in a random pattern, echoes the dark bark of nearby douglas firs, while horizontal, clear-stained red cedar siding similarly recalls the lighter trees.
Courtesy of
Sama Jim Canzian
Originally appeared in A Jaw-Dropping Modern Cabin Nestled Into a Steep Hillside in British Columbia
In the 1940s, the distinguished Canadian architect John Bland designed an elegant vacation house near Lake Masson in Quebec. Seven decades later, the midcentury gem was at risk for demolition. Architect Alain Carle revived the home’s exterior by recladding it in fresh cedar planks, local stone, and black anodized aluminum. He also replaced the original windows—all damaged—and changed the sizes of some to respond better to the outdoors.
Latest Articles
You don’t have to choose between sustainable energy and curb appeal.
July 19, 2016
Each week, we tap into Dwell's Instagram community to bring you the most captivating design and architecture shots of the week.
July 06, 2016
Each week, we tap into Dwell's Instagram community to bring you the most captivating design and architecture shots of the week.
June 29, 2016
Docomomo US announces the winners of this year's Modernism in America Awards. Each project showcases exemplary modern restoration techniques, practices, and ideas.
June 27, 2016
After last year’s collaboration, we were excited to team up with Monogram again for the 2016 Monogram Modern Home Tour.
June 27, 2016
A strategic rewire enhances a spec house’s gut renovation.
June 26, 2016
Coralie Gourguechon's paper objects will make you see technology in a whole new way.
June 26, 2016
Smart technology helps a house in Aspen, Colorado, stay on its sustainable course.
June 25, 2016
The aesthetic appeal of personal electronics has long fueled consumer interest. A new industrial design book celebrates devices that broke the mold.
June 25, 2016
An angled deck transforms a backyard in Menlo Park, California, into a welcoming gathering spot.
June 24, 2016
Today, we kicked off this year’s annual Dwell on Design at the LA Convention Center, which will continue through Sunday, June 26th. Though we’ve been hosting this extensive event for years, this time around is particularly special.
June 24, 2016
Two designers restore a low-slung midcentury gem in Napa, California, by an unsung Bay Area modernist.
June 24, 2016
San Francisco–based designer Maca Huneeus created her family’s weekend retreat near Lake Tahoe with a relaxed, sophisticated sensibility.
June 24, 2016
A Toronto couple remodel their home with a special emphasis on a spacious kitchen and a material-rich bathroom.
June 24, 2016
In Kansas City, an architecture studio designs an adaptable house for a musician on a budget.
June 23, 2016
By straightening angles, installing windows, and adding vertical accents, architect Aaron Ritenour brought light and order to an irregularly shaped apartment in the heart of Athens, Greece.
June 23, 2016
A modest kitchen addition to a couple’s cottage outside of Brisbane proves that one 376-square-foot room can revive an entire home.
June 23, 2016
Each week, we tap into Dwell's Instagram community to bring you the most captivating design and architecture shots of the week.
June 22, 2016
A modern dwelling replaces a fallen farmhouse.
June 22, 2016
Seeking an escape from bustling city life, a Manhattan couple embarks on a renovation in the verdant Hudson Valley.
June 22, 2016
Atelier Moderno renovated an old industrial building to create a luminous, modern home.
June 21, 2016
Anchored in a small San Francisco canal, this floating home takes its cues from a classic city habitat.
June 21, 2016
From the bones of a neglected farmstead in rural Scotland emerges a low-impact, solar-powered home that’s all about working with what was already there.
June 21, 2016
An architect with a taste for unconventional living spaces creates a small house at lofty heights with a starring view.
June 21, 2016
Marjan Van Aubel makes technology a little more natural.
June 21, 2016
Building on the site of a former one-car garage, an architect creates his family’s home in an evolving neighborhood of Brooklyn.
June 20, 2016
In a Brooklyn backyard, an off-duty architect builds a structure that tests his attention to the little things.
June 20, 2016
In the suburbs of Paris, an architect with an eco-friendly practice doesn’t let tradition stand in the way of innovation.
June 20, 2016
Join the Discussion