It was a quaint little mountain retreat in Idaho, similar to a ranch house but of small proportions and rather simple. The owner wanted to pursue a rustic design but in a unique style that molded to their own personality.

The main idea was to have something modest and simple without a lot of ornamentation or a lot of furniture. Just the basics and a little bit of charm.

The house that the architects ended up building is exactly that, a charmingly rustic retreat with plenty of personalities. The key elements that defined their approach were the openness, privacy and serenity that this area offers.

They used local and reclaimed materials to give the house a lived-in look and to allow it to fit into the topography more naturally.

Both the interior and exterior look very inviting. The living area has big windows and glass walls but that doesn’t interfere too much with the overall rustic style of the house. It also doesn’t make this area feel exposed.

One of the goals throughout this project was to find ways to bring nature and the outdoors inside the house. That had to be done in a subtle way. The use of simple materials such as wood and stone helped make that happen.

Inside you can notice large wooden beams and floors and ceilings made of reclaimed wood which has a really nice patina. There are also features like the stone fireplace or the antler chandelier that support the rustic approach and stand out as focal points.

In the bedrooms, there are cozy sitting nooks by the windows and everything has a modest and charming feel.