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Located on an island off the coast of Washington, the 25-acre lot offered privacy coupled with unimpeded water views. “When we moved to the Pacific Northwest over 30 years ago, we fell in love with this area,” say the homeowners, who wanted to see the beauty of the region reflected in their weekend home and a place to host many guests. “The San Juan Islands are the quintessential northwest environment, with the forests, the sea, and the mountains.”
According to firm partner Tim Pfeiffer and the clients themselves, their city residence skews modern, but the island project required a different approach. “I would characterize this home as more traditional and appropriate to its rural environment,” the client continues, noting that they value context over any particular style. “[We wanted] better scale and proportion to the rooms, more refined details and finishes—all balanced by an aesthetic leaning toward a more comfortable and casual lifestyle on the island.”
The main home and farmhouse had undergone a succession of renovations over the decades—the former was built in the 1990s, while the latter dates back more than 100 years. “We wanted to maintain the original character of the farmhouse,” the client explains, “so its remodel was more focused on interior finishes and comfort.” The primary residence, which sits on a bluff overlooking the water, was dark and dated with a confusing layout that didn’t flow in an intuitive way. “The window heights were low, the scale of the rooms was bizarre, and there were a lot of weird asymmetries throughout,” recalls Hoedemaker.
