Wittman Estes created this sustainable modern home as a peaceful escape from urban life on Whidbey Island in the Salish Sea, Washington State. Originally from India, the owners envisioned a home that served as a sanctuary for meditation, bonding, and uparati, a Sanskrit term meaning “stillness. ” The 1,880-square-foot dwelling is elevated above the natural surroundings.
Floating above a meadow, Whidbey Uparati minimizes visual and physical impact on the natural landscape by seamlessly blending into the site rather than imposing upon it. As one approaches, the meadow vegetation surrounds a winding path that leads up to a gentle slope to the house. Meadow grasses surround a muted cedar-clad structure with generous windows, connecting the house audibly and visually to the surrounding nature.
DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS Wittman Estes BUILDER JADE Craftsman Builders LLC STRUCTURAL ENGINEER J Welch Engineer
Indoor Outdoor Connections
- Anodized aluminum and wood windows and deck sliding doors
- Sliding glass door to the deck and to the courtyard
- Outdoor covered deck overlooking Useless Bay with views of the Olympic Mountains
- Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors open to the reflecting pool and courtyard below
- Glass kitchen door to meadow outside
- Ample natural light
- Natural plywood and cedar materials to match the surrounding woods and landscape
- Sheer shades soften the view and natural light
- Slatted covered porch nook at entry
Finish Materials
- 1×4” tight knot cedar tongue and groove ceiling and exterior soffit
- ¾” prefinished wide plank engineered white oak floor
- ½” plywood prefinished Maple Sap Rotary Whole Piece grade ‘A’ or ‘C’, face fastened with finish screw, 1/8” rabbet between panels
- ¾” birch plywood cabinets with ¾” prefinished maple plywood veneer faces, Clear Stain
- 3/16” raw stainless-steel countertops, Orbital finish
- 3/16” raw stainless-steel shelf, Orbital finish
- Bathroom wall tile: Highland Grigio by Surface Art
- Bathroom floor tile: Highland Grigio by Surface Art
- Skim-coated drywall with level 5 finish and flush base
- Cora light gray privacy shades from The Shade Store
- Custom 1 3/8” solid core flat panel maple veneer doors to match walls
- 10 mm felt headboard
Hardware
- Custom hardware by Wittman Estes
- Fridge/Dishwasher pulls: Custom stainless steel designed by Wittman Estes, fabricated by Helve House
- Front Door Pull: Custom stainless steel designed by Wittman Estes, fabricated by Helve House
- Towel racks and Hooks: Custom stainless steel designed by Wittman Estes, fabricated by Helve House
- Interior Door Hardware: Emtek Athena Lever handle with a modern rosette in satin nickel
- Entry Door Hardware: Emtek Athena Brisbane single cylinder mortise entry set, satin nickel
- Smart Lock: Emtek Keypad Deadbolt, satin nickel
- Rain Chain: Seo Toh Cylinder rain chain in silver, 1 1/3”
- Cabinet/Drawer Pulls: Sugatsune SN-300/M edge pull in satin nickel
- Cabinet/Drawer Pulls: Sugatsune SN-120/M edge pull in satin nickel
Furniture/Artwork
- Sofa: Rove Concepts, Maria Sofa, Alesund
- Coffee Table: Muuto, Around Coffee Table, Black, Large
- Drapery: Handmade Linen from India
- Bar Stool: Design Within Reach, About A Stool, Black
- Dining Table: Norm Architects, Snaregade table, Black Oak Veneer
- Dining Chairs: Rove Concepts, Elbow Chair, Leather / Walnut
- Yoga Room Pedestal Tray: [mcginnis-lu], red oak 01 stand
- Exterior stool at deck: [mcginnis-lu], ipe 01, stool
- Exterior Chairs: Custom by Wittman Estes
- Living Room Art: “Doppler” by Nikki Sugihara
- Bedroom Art: “Salmon Ladder” by Nikki Sugihara
Lighting
- Recessed Lights, Interior: 4” Halo series recessed cans in satin nickel
- Recessed Lights, Exterior: 4” Lithonia exterior recessed cans in brushed nickel
- Under Cabinet Lights: WAC LEDme, button light in brushed nickel
- Hallway Wall Sconce: In Common With, Hoist Sconce, matte black, Med shade with large glass
- Kitchen Island Pendants: Graypants Roest Pendant in rust/zinc, 2.5 DIA x 6” H
- Bedroom 105 Pendants: +Kouple S05 Spot in raw/natural
- Outdoor Sconce: Tech Lighting Vex 5 Outdoor wall sconce, black
- WAC round in-ground light in stainless steel/frosted, 2”
- WAC submersible light in stainless steel, 2”
- Forbes & Lomax toggle and dimmer switches, stainless steel
- Lutron Claro outlets, gray/stainless steel
- Table Lamp: Mutuus
Appliances
- Range: Fisher & Paykel RGV3-304-L 30” free-standing gas range, stainless steel
- Range Hood: Kobe Brillia 157 30” concealed hood insert with 550 cfm internal fan
- Refrigerator: Fisher & Paykel RS2484WLU1 24” left hinge integrated column, Panel ready, plywood to match casework
- Dishwasher: Fisher & Paykel DD24DI9N 24” fully-integrated double drawer, custom panels
- Garbage Disposal: Insinkerator ¾ HP with 40 oz. continuous 1725 RPM disposer
- Laundry Washer/Dryer: Samsung 1823958 24” front load compact pair with SKDH stacking kit
Plumbing Fixtures
- Kitchen Sink: Blanco Quatrus 518172 32” stainless undermount
- Kitchen Faucet: Rohl Pirellone CY57L-STN-2 single lever with pull-out spout, satin nickel
- Hot Water Faucet: Rohl Lux G7545LMSTN-2 single lever, satin nickel
- Bathroom Sink: Kohler Verticyl K-2882 19” rectangular undermount with vertical sides, white
- Bathroom Faucet: Kohler Purist K-T14414-4-BN, 9 ½” wall-mounted spout and double-lever, brushed nickel
- Bathroom Toilet: Duravit Darling New 254409 wall-mounted, white wondergliss
- Toilet Actuator: Duravit Actuator Plate A1 WD5008021090 wall-mounted, polished chrome
- Bathroom Shower Arm: Kohler K-26321-BN 12” ceiling-mounted, brushed nickel
- Bathroom Shower Head: Kohler K-13689-G-BN 10” ceiling-mounted, brushed nickel
- Bathroom Hand Wash: Kohler Shift K-21335-BN wall-mounted, brushed nickel
- Bathroom Linear Shower Drain: Hydro-Blok
- Bathroom Thermal Valve: Kohler Purist K-T14488-4-BN 6” wall-mounted, brushed nickel
- Bathroom Volume Valve: Kohler Purist K-T14490-4-BN 4” wall-mounted, brushed nickel
- Toilet Paper Holder: Custom stainless steel by Matt Kelly
- Towel Rack: Custom stainless steel by Helve House, Matt Kelly
A courtyard plan layout surrounds a crushed granite patio with a reflecting pool, fire pit, and a single Stewartia tree.
The owners often travel back home to India to partake in meditative retreats. They asked architect Matt Wittman to design a retreat that could serve as an escape from urban living and as a site and house for meditative contemplation.
This Whidbey Island home consists of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a multi-purpose room, and a living room and kitchen for communal activities. Its transparency invites residents to spend time together and enjoy the rural background, while its location on the highest part of the lot allows for panoramic views of the surrounding Useless Bay and the Olympic Mountains. During the warmer seasons, the owners can also enjoy a generous west-facing deck.
The experience of the house starts with the journey from Bellevue. The owners cross the Puget Sound on the Mukilteo Clinton ferry and head into the outlands of rural Whidbey Island. The driveway draws them closer, winding up a steady slope through meadow vegetation – Blue Oat Grasses, Mexican Feather Grasses, Adagio Maiden Grasses – and summer blooming flowers – Cone Flowers and Flowering Sage.
“We wanted to ‘rewild’ the site through landscaping,” says Jody Estes, the lead landscape designer. “It was important to remove invasive species and to create a plan for forest restoration.” A walking path that meanders around the perimeter of the five-acre lot. In a future phase, the walking path will lead into the forest to a meditation pavilion.
At the end of the path, entry stairs elevate the owners up into the house at its highest point. The low ceiling creates a moment of compression before stepping down into the more spacious living room and kitchen. Further in, the house becomes more transparent, and floor-to-ceiling windows frame the views of water and mountains. The interior spaces are a study in simple wood details – plywood walls, cedar tongue and groove ceiling, and white oak floor.
Facing a limited budget, Wittman Estes designed the house to be simple to construct, reducing the construction timeframe and cost. “The simple wood structure follows a 4’ grid,” says Wittman. The floors and roof are framed with off-the-shelf TJIs spanning a rational order of columns and walls on 12’ and 16’ intervals.
The house is supported by a Ground Frame foundation system that eliminates concrete for the foundation of the house. This reduces the carbon footprint by 77% relative to the equivalent concrete foundation. The micro pile technology acts like roots for the home, anchoring it to the ground both structurally and visually.
With an interest in film, the clients wanted the house to provide a cinematic visual composition both for the interior and the exterior. The sequence of the interior spaces allows for light and shadow to shift the perspective and mood of each room, similar to scenes in a Roger Deakins film. The interior palette draws on neutral tones as its base, allowing the residents’ objects to create punctuation of color and visual focus.
The house is a contemporary retreat that offers a meditative connection with the natural surroundings. Its quiet nature, material palette, and structural simplicity allow its most coveted quality to be heard loud and clear—in stillness. We can hear nature speak.
What We Love: This Whidbey Island home is absolutely gorgeous and well-designed. We love how the architects designed this home to float above the meadow with minimal disturbance to the land. Seamlessly blending with its natural surroundings, it offers a peaceful retreat to relax, unwind, and immerse oneself in nature. Inspired by the concept of “uparati” – peaceful simplicity, this home beautifully balances modern living with nature. Every detail was thoughtfully designed to cater to a relaxed living environment.
Tell Us: What details do you find most appealing in the design of this Whidbey Island retreat? Let us know in the Comments below!
Note: Check out a couple of other incredible home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the architects of this project, Wittman Estes: Serene cabin retreat tucked in the forest next to Washington’s Hood Canal and Craftsman style home gets modern update with rentable garden ADU in Seattle.
“The U-shaped plan layout offers a variety of sun and shade throughout the day and seasons,” states architect Matt Wittman.
“Rainwater is collected in a reflecting pool to visually unite the house with the Salish Sea,” states the architect.
“The courtyard needed to be protected from the windy weather coming up from Useless Bay. The covered deck protects from the rain and sun and steps down to be closer to the courtyard,” states the architect.
“The simple post and frame structure was inspired by rural barns and haysheds on Whidbey Island. “We designed to eliminate the use of concrete—most of the house is made from timber,” states architect Matt Wittman.
“We long to feel closer to nature. Being outside helps our minds focus and redirects our thoughts outwards,” states architect Matt Wittman.
PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Pogue
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