Lantern house provides a spectacular waterfront refuge overlooking Puget Sound

By One Kindesign | Published on September 15, 2026

Filed Under: Architecture

0 comments

Dark metal-clad entry facade shaded by mature evergreen trees

❤️ Would you like to save this?

We'll email this article to you, so you can read it later!

By saving, we'll email this post to you for later. Unsubscribe anytime.

Along Puget Sound on a narrow island, home to just 250 residences, Lantern House by Washington-based firm Syndicate Smith opens a new chapter for a family of four. As a teenager, one of the owners was introduced to the island through a friend’s family cabin.

Years later, when the neighboring property came up for sale—a rare event in the tight-knit enclave—the couple seized the opportunity. The 600-square-foot 1950s Pan-Abode structure became their family’s treasured retreat. Thirteen years later, with their daughters grown, they set out to preserve its spirit and create space for the next chapter.

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECT Syndicate Smith
INTERIOR DESIGNER Hannah Hering, Syndicate Smith
CONTRACTOR Dephiance Design-Build
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER BTL Engineering

Black metal facade with corten garage door among fall foliage

Reluctant to remodel the original cabin and risk losing the memories it held, the couple chose to preserve it as a guest house by relocating it to a lot across the street. In its place on the waterfront, they envisioned a modern retreat—open to family and friends, attuned to the landscape, and shaped by a blend of Pacific Northwest modernism and wabi-sabi sensibility.

Black paneled entry facade beside cedar tree trunk and steps

They turned to Syndicate Smith after coming across one of their projects in Leavenworth, Washington, where the firm is located and coincidentally where the family spends the holidays.

A Lantern-Lit Entry Welcomes Visitors Home

Woman walks through open pivot door into dusk entry hall

Working closely with the homeowner, the architect designed a home defined by light, craft, and experience. Following the footprint of the original cabin, the new structure sits close to the shoreline. To accommodate the realities of a changing climate—and the exceptionally high King Tides that occur a few times each year when the sun, moon, and Earth align—the house was raised slightly on a porous foundation that allows water to move safely beneath.

Woman viewed from behind walking through wood pivot door

Framed by the island’s oldest redwood tree, the entry announces the home with quiet drama. The owner envisioned the lantern-like threshold as a gesture of light—a suspended constellation that guides visitors inside. The double-height space heightens the effect, while a perforated steel scrim diffuses the lanterns’ glow beyond. The double-height concept is mirrored inside, where a window skylight channels daylight deep into the home’s core.

Woman smiles beside open front door in entry foyer

Outdoor living was essential to the design—reflecting the family’s deep connection to the water. Expansive decks, terraces, and a covered fireplace blur the line between inside and out, creating a place to watch the sun rise over Puget Sound or gather with friends long after sunset.

Vertical cedar slats frame glass door beside walnut entry bench

Inside, warm woods, textured surfaces, and carefully framed light bring the landscape’s character indoors. Every bedroom opens to the outdoors and frames views of the Sound, while discreet storage for bikes, paddleboards, and yard games supports the family’s love of movement and play.

Wood slat partition separates entry from oak staircase and console

Across the street, the relocated cabin endures as a beloved guesthouse—its cedar walls still carved with the names of the couple’s daughters from their youth. It holds the memory of the family’s first chapter on the island, while the new home looks ahead, built for the next generation of gatherings, celebrations, and slow mornings by the water. Together, the two structures create a retreat rooted in memory and shaped by a lasting bond with place.

Floating oak stair treads rise past skylights and black railings

What We Love About This Home

Lantern House offers incredible curb appeal with its constellation of hanging bulbs glowing through a perforated steel scrim beneath the island’s oldest redwood tree. Raising the house on a porous foundation to handle King Tides is a smart solution that enhances the overall design. Best of all, the family kept their original cabin standing across the street as a guesthouse, preserving thirteen years of memories carved right into its cedar walls.

Tell Us: Would this be your idea of the perfect family retreat? Let us know why or why not in the Comments below!

Note: Check out a couple of other fascinating home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the state of Washington: A San Juan Islands beach house with sweeping views over the Puget Sound and Treehouse inspired midcentury home perched on a cliffside above Puget Sound.

Stone sculptures rest on oak stair treads beneath black railing

Open-Concept Kitchen

Kitchen island view toward open shelving and built-in bar display

Woman relaxes by fireplace beside stacked firewood storage wall

Living Room Centered On The Fireplace

Living room fireplace flanked by open shelving and leather sofas

Leather sofas surround fireplace with lake views through corner windows

Leather sofa nook with mountain art and brass record cabinet

Built-in shelving displays driftwood books and travel keepsakes above bench

Vinyl records lean beside mountain print and wood slat wall

Window nook bench frames massive cedar trunk and garden view

Narrow skylight window frames neighboring rooftops and greenery below

Black metal stair railing overlooks wood slat storage nook below

Built-in window seat with bookshelves overlooking glass breezeway lights

Glass breezeway ceiling hung with pendant bulbs above concrete path

Pendant bulbs hang beneath dark screened porch overlooking cedar trees

Home Office Bathed In Natural Light

Home office with built-in shelving desk and blue task chair

Bedroom Suites Overlooking Puget Sound

Bedroom headboard with wire bird art and sculptural wall sconces

Double vanity with terrazzo counter under skylight and wood paneling

Blue bedding and painting overlook water view through glass door

Wood slat shower nook beside folded towels on floating shelves

Black fixtures against wood slat shower wall with terrazzo bench

Wood-paneled laundry room with stacked washers and terrazzo sink counter

Dark wood dining nook with wine display and mountain art

Dining table set beneath wood ceiling overlooking dusk water view

Kitchen island bar bathed in warm sunset light and shadow

Wood dining table faces kitchen bar and glowing sunset light

Outdoor kitchen with red pizza oven beside slatted wood ceiling

Kitchen island frames sunset view over water through open walls

Outdoor Living Spaces Built For Entertaining

Covered patio and firepit lawn overlook beach and evergreen trees

Wood-clad stairway leads from patio into open kitchen and dining

Open-air living room ceiling frames water view past firewood wall

Rear facade with covered patio dining area and green lawn

Rear elevation shows covered outdoor living and dining terrace

Angular wood slat ceiling frames glass balcony railing detail below

Angular steel beam frames pendant lights against dark mesh screen

Entry foyer at dusk with pendant lights and open front door

Modern Exterior Clad In Black Metal And Cedar

Black metal facade illuminated at dusk with glowing entry path

Illuminated black facade glows at dusk beneath tall redwood tree

Twilight approach through mature redwoods leads to glowing entryway

Black metal facade lit at night beside corten garage door

PHOTOGRAPHER Will Austin