Every project presents a puzzle.

This one was located on a Lake Tahoe trail map. The puzzle pieces included the artfully contextualized minimalist architecture of Greg Faulkner, a majestic mountain setting, and an active family with a desire to marry calm elegance with a fun (and functional) spirit.

The challenge was to connect the pieces to create a feeling of natural ease in the high touch living areas of the home - from the kitchen to the wardrobe to the ski equipment storage. Designing prominent elements to embody the way the clients want to feel when they are in the mountains without falling off the ‘rustic’ cliff into something overly rough-hewn or woodsy.

Natural materials were used very precisely alongside technical materials to create a strong balance. Refined, but not out of place to the adjacent wilderness.

In the kitchen, rich walnut pairs with anodized aluminum and movable steel shelves. The result is ‘rugged’ in the sense that it is clearly purpose-built, designed to be used hard, not babied, and made with a craft quality that wears tough and looks better with age.

The marriage of elegance and functionalism was key in the entire project. Nowhere was it more important than in the wine room.

The discerning client had specific needs for wine storage and the use of the room, including the ability to see the labels of the stored wine bottles without disturbing them. The integration with a lighting and temperature control system was another consideration.

The extremely personal result was achievable through Henrybuilt's flexible system, bringing together specialized products in a custom design with an intense focus on the clients’ experience using the space.

The aura of elegance and efficiency continues in the master bath and dressing room. The wardrobe system accommodates the complexity of the storage needs without getting fussy or visually distracting on the outside. It folds seamlessly into the architecture (no small feat given the angles of this room).


HENRYBUILT WARDROBE SYSTEM

A feeling of order with minimal effort when the clients are dressing. The softness of leather pulls. The luxury of the valet. The artful order of things.


SEE HOW WORK ON THIS PROJECT HELPED LEAD TO THE THE PRIMARY OBJECT 'VOYAGER' - AN ISLAND FOR DRESSING

The incorporation of Opencase, our flexible wall-panel storage system, into closed units elevates the in-and-out gear storage. High performance on the interior, calm refinement on the exterior.

As the architect noted, it is the carefully considered things you don’t see in Henrybuilt’s work that is what it is all about. How it feels to use and live in the space at the end (or beginning) of the day.

Perhaps the puzzle is pulled together through the pure expressions of everyday tools that also carry the sense of permanence and beauty, like Faulkner's architecture and the majestic location of the project.