Prairie Style Residence

Our studio was asked to design a dream home for a client whose vision closely matched our belief that spaces should be beautiful and timeless; be reflective of the setting; and be sensitive to the client’s needs and desires.  We fulfilled our client’s love of long, low prairie style homes with this design for a large treed river property.

Ledgestone on the exterior face transitions into the main entry and stairwell to the lower level.  Exterior architectural woodgrain siding is reflected in the choice of walnut wood flooring, interior doors, frames, baseboards and select millwork throughout.

To provide views of the river, the great room, kitchen, sunroom and primary suite, are located at the back of the house with large windows. The view upon entry captures the great room’s full wall of glazing and bespoke glass light fixtures. Motorized recessed solar shades ensure continued views along with sun protection. To achieve natural light and privacy from the front street, mostly clerestory windows were installed.

A two-sided gas fireplace, clad in dramatic Sahara Noir porcelain provides a sense of separation between the kitchen and great room. The fireplace vents sideways into a walnut-clad chase wall which accommodates tv’s and concealed storage on both sides.

The kitchen looks into the dining room, great room, sun room and entry.  A beverage island keeps this function separate from the food prep area. A wall of pantry storage houses wall ovens and warming drawers.  Fully-integrated refrigerator and freezer columns are clad in panels to match the high-gloss, waterproof, fingerprint and scratch resistant cabinet material. The matte finish porcelain countertops are durable, stain and heat resistant.

The dining room’s undulating wood veneer light fixture is soft and organic, and the walnut table-for-ten seems to float on its pedestal base; in tension with the stone wall and the geometric window layout.

Tranquility is created in the primary suite with a custom designed upholstered bed, floating night tables with glass tops, and concealed light and shade controls.  A figured and quartered anegre wood wall houses a television, fireplace, storage and display shelving.  A curved velvet sofa and armchair located in front of the full height windows provides a cozy place to relax.

A large part of the lower level was set up for entertaining. The bar was located in a space at the base of the open staircase to be accessible to all the entertainment areas.

What does our client think?  “We love it. It is big, but cozy.”

Photography by Lindsay Reid