Coates Design Architects was tasked with building a livable modern home that is budget-minded and respects its rural environment in Yelm, Washington. The neighborhood surrounding this property is comprised of traditional, country-style homes. The architects designed this residence with a contemporary take on a country home: using a combination of simple, cost-effective methods to create a warm and comfortable living environment.
Concrete masonry unit walls frame the entryway and a flat roof plane hovers overhead to ground the single story home into its prairie style landscape. The property reflects the clients’ informal lifestyle and relationship to the environment. He is a graphic designer who works from home; her hobbies include sewing, craft projects, and gardening. The overall aesthetics reflects a modest yet elegant, modern home with clean lines and a minimal color palette.
The home is 2,200 square feet and L-shaped in plan, enabling the master suite and office to be separated from the guest rooms, craft room and garage. Centrally placed are the open plan living, dining and kitchen. These rooms create a core space with expansive glass walls that connect the owners visually and physically to the landscape. Private views of the foothills and tree-covered wetlands are offered through the transparent core, along with sightings of deer and elk by the back patio.
Designed with radiant floor heating, heat-recovery technology, and natural ventilation, the simplicity of the floor plan’s organization creates an intimate and warm interior environment. A concrete masonry fireplace paired with the copper-toned, stained birch ceiling also adds material warmth to the great room. This is a casual yet functional space where the couple spends most of their time, along with their two dogs!
What We Love: This countryside home is contemporary yet warm with an inviting open-plan and cost-effective materials. The architects used efficient planning with a repetition of elements throughout to help keep the costs low. Overall, this resulted in a budget-minded home that is very complimentary to its peaceful landscape… Readers, do you find this project to be a livable modern home? Please share your feedback in the comments below!
Note: Have a look at a couple of other home tours that we have featured from the talented portfolio of Coates Design Architects: Sustainable home with modern design aesthetic and Spectacular Dorsey Residence on Bainbridge Island.
Above: A minimal exterior material palette of wood and stucco siding with metal panel accents helps to highlight the beauty of the 10 acres of land on which the house resides.
Circulation through the space is enlivened by built-in storage benches, acting as visual breaks and adding pops of color. Efficient planning and the repetition of elements throughout the house helped to keep costs down, resulting in an economically priced, modern home that compliments its natural environment.
The concrete flooring was used throughout the home and continues to the outdoors, visually expanding the space into the backyard landscape. A concrete masonry wall outside provides both privacy and a courtyard, which can be seen from both the living space and home office.
Above: A lighter-stained birch was used for all of the kitchen’s custom cabinetry and breakfast bar.
Photos: Lara Swimmer
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