The French Creek Workshops House was designed by the Seattle-based architecture and landscape firm Wittman Estes as a home for aging in place. Located in Snohomish, Washington, this new family retreat for a retired couple is nestled alongside a wetland on a 4.5-acre site that was once an animal sanctuary.
Conceived as a serene retreat immersed in nature, it offers comfort and beauty throughout the seasons—sheltering its occupants during the cool, rainy months and opening outward during the dry, warm season.
A courtyard-style house is composed of a volume dedicated to living spaces and another volume for workshops (weaving, glass blowing, furniture making, and other artistic pursuits). Throughout the property, the home, gardens, and art are woven together.
DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS Wittman Estes LANDSCAPE Wittman Estes STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Josh Welch Engineering BUILDER MRA Builders CIVIL ENGINEER Jennifer Argraves, LPD Engineering GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER Adam Gaston, Geo Group Northwest
Designed for aging-in-place and multigenerational living, the single-level plan eliminates stairs, while gentle terracing allows the structure to settle naturally into the sloped terrain. Wide doorways, flush thresholds, and sandblasted concrete floors provide safe, nonslip circulation.
Inside and out, the 2,471-square-foot home reflects the couple’s shared life as makers: her passion for gardening shaped the layered, rhythmic landscaping, while his fascination with water inspired the reflecting pools. Slatted wood screens fabricated by the couple filter light in the living room and enclose the exterior loading dock, while their hand-blown glass artworks animate the dining shelves.
“They wanted the home to be an expression of who they are,” notes Matt Wittman. “Now, they can live and create side by side—gracefully and seamlessly.”
Interior materials balance artistry and practicality, emphasizing natural warmth and durability. Locally sourced fir and cedar complement terrazzo and concrete surfaces, while reddish-brown soffits and a vivid blue kitchen wall introduce a playful note. Cast-in-place concrete floors with hydronic radiant heating extend onto patios and walkways, linking interior and exterior experiences. Overhead, a corrugated metal roof with a soft metallic sheen quietly reflects the changing light.
Studios dedicated to woodworking, metalworking, glass art, and other creative pursuits are integral to the home’s design. Linked to the main house by sheltered walkways and gardens, they are positioned to minimize noise and mess while defining a central courtyard. The 1,471-square-foot studio’s shed roof lifts toward north-facing clerestory windows, drawing in even, diffused light ideal for craftwork.
Inspired by the ancient Roman impluvium, the courtyard collects rainwater from the surrounding roofs and channels it into a series of reflecting pools. “When it rains, water cascades over the roof edges, sheeting gently into the garden,” says Wittman. “Instead of working against the climate, we expressed it—so the owners can engage with it.”
Gardens, patios, deep eaves, and the system of reflecting pools knit together the buildings and pathways into a cohesive compound for living and making. The landscape reinforces the connection to place through a sequence of radiating gardens that transition from cultivated to wild—each maintained by the owners themselves.
The entry sequence begins with a welcoming garden that rises from the drive, guiding visitors toward the heart of the home: the courtyard at its center. Here, nature and daily living come together with ease.
What We Love About This Home
This courtyard house in Washington is thoughtfully designed for aging in place, with a serene single-level layout that prioritizes comfort, accessibility, and connection to nature. The central courtyard brings in abundant natural light while creating a peaceful, protected outdoor retreat that can be enjoyed year-round. Every detail feels intentional, blending calm, modern design with a deep sense of livability and longevity.
Tell Us: What are your overall thoughts on the design of this home? Let us know in the Comments below!
Note: Check out a couple of other incredible home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the state of Washington: A modern refuge nestled in the woodlands of the Puget Sound Peninsula and This stunning Lake Washington house soaks up tranquil views of Mount Rainier,
PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Pogue
French Creek Workshops – Additional Project Facts
Main Project Elements:
Main house organized around a courtyard with entry procession starting from a welcome garden, lower, middle, upper pond making up the entry courtyard garden
Elevated pathways under sheltering eaves extend into the courtyard
A workshop for weaving, glass blowing, furniture making, and other artistic pursuits is designed to the north of the main house
West patio enclosed in a concrete retaining wall is designed for outdoor living, overlooking the landscape and forestry beyond
Building Square Footage:
Main House (2,471 sf)
Workshop (1,471 sf)
Heated garage (424 sf)
Sustainability:
High-performance heating and cooling system, including hydronic radiant heat and distributed air source heat pump mechanical units with zonal controls. Natural light is balanced on all sides with generous glazing. Rainwater capture from the rooftops is collected in storage tanks. Materials were sourced locally, using naturally weathering fir and cedar from nearby mills to minimize transport.
Rooms:
Main House – Family Room, Kitchen, Dining Room, Hobby Room, Weaving Studio, Primary Bedroom, Primary bathroom, Guest Bedroom, Guest Bathroom, Study, Laundry
Workshops – Wood Workshop, Comic Book Room, Glass Workshop, Storage / Mechanical Room
Indoor Outdoor Connections:
- Patio on southwest
- Deep eaves sheltering walkways around courtyard
- Central courtyard with concrete and cedar bridges to cross reflecting pool
Finish Materials
Exterior siding:
- Tight Knot Cedar 1×4 tongue and groove, semi-transparent stain, Milesi
- Fiber cement panels above windows, Benjamin Moore Tricorn Black Paint
Doors:
- Foyer 100.1 Door (Quantum, Custom Wood Pivot Door)
- Family Room 102.1 Corner Opening (Quantum, LiftSlide, Wood Clad)
- Dining Room 105.1 (Quantum, LiftSlide, Wood Clad)
- Mudroom 115.1 (Sierra Pacific, Single Lite, Wood Clad)
- Garage 200.2 / Glass Workshop 301.1 / Mechanical 099.1 (TruDoor Fire-rated single, flush hollow metal door)
- Wood Workshop 303.1 (TruDoor – Double Doors, Hollow Metal Pairs)
- Sink Room 300.1 (Sierra Pacific, Patio Slider, Wood Clad)
- Garage 200.1 Carriage Door (Custom by contractor)
Windows:
- At Foyer, Hobby Room, Family Room, Kitchen & Dining (Quantum Wood Clad – Fir wood interior, AM-03-FS exterior)
- Other windows (Sierra Pacific, Contemporary Direct Glaze, stained fir interior, Battleship Gray)
Roofing:
Breyers Metals 7/8” corrugated 24 gauge metal roofing, Vintage SRI 19 color
Rain Chain Downspouts:
Rain Chains in a Nutshell, Rectangle Links, RC 3198 color
Casework:
Fronts (1” Alder veneer plywood w/ ¼” solid wood edge banding), Cabinet Box (Prefinished birch), Drawers (Baltic birch ply w lacquer finish), Saliche hinge w/ soft close hardware
Interior Concrete Flatwork at Main House:
Light Orbital Sanded finish w/ sealer and hardener, Sawcut joints, Davis Dark Gray 8084
Exterior Concrete Flatwork at Walkways:
Cast in place, Hard troweled, sawcut joints, alternating sandblast and topcast finish
Exterior Concrete at Patio:
Cast in place, hard troweled, sawcut joints, topcast finish
Interior Wood Ceiling:
1×4 Tight Knot Fir, Fair Walnut stain
Exterior Wood Soffit:
3/8 x 4 Tight Knot Cedar, T&G smooth side exposed, Fair Walnut stain
Interior Wood Slats:
VG Fir, Fair Walnut stain
Exterior Wood Slats:
Clear Cedar, semi-transparent Milesi stain
Countertop:
- Family Room Kitchen and Main Bathroom (Terrazzo)
- Guest Bathroom (Corian, Arctic White)
Interior Paint Color:
- General (Sherwin Williams, Pure White 7005)
- Kitchen Accent Wall and Casework (Sherwin Williams, Indigo Batik, 7602)
Solid Surface:
- Primary Bathroom Shower Wall: Terrazzo
- Guest Bathroom Shower Wall: Corian Arctic White
- Dogwash Partial Wall: Corian White Onyx
Plumbing Fixtures:
- Kitchen 103 Sink: Just Manufacturing, UD-1842-A, Stylist Series, Stainless Steel
- Kitchen 103 Faucet: Kallista, P25516-00-VS, Stainless Steel
- Primary Bath 108 Sink: Kohler, K-2882-0, Verticyl, Undermount, White
- Primary Bath 108 Faucet: Kohler, K-T14414-4-BN, Purist, Brushed Nickel
- Primary Bath 108 Toilet: Kohler, K-1381-0, Veil, One-piece elongated dual flush
- Primary Bath 108 Showerhead: Kohler, K-13689-BN, Brushed Nickel
- Primary Bath 108 Shower arm: Kohler, K-7392-BN, Brushed Nickel
- Primary Bath 108 Handwash: Kohler, K-21335-BN, Shift + Round, Brushed Nickel
- Primary Bath 108 Thermal Valve: Kohler, K-T97022-4-BN, Avid Function, Brushed Nickel
- Primary Bath 108 Volume Valve: Kohler, K-T97025-4-BN, Avid Volume Control, Brushed Nickel
- Guest Bath 111 Sink integrated solid surface sink, Hi-Macs S006 Arctic White
- Guest Bath 111 Faucet: Kohler, K-T14414-4-BN, Purist, Brushed Nickel
- Guest Bath 111 Toilet: Kohler, K-1381-0, Veil, One-piece elongated dual flush
- Guest Bath 111 Showerhead: Kohler, K-939-G-BN, Purist, Brushed Nickel
- Guest Bath 111 Thermal Valve: Kohler, K-T97022-4-BN, Avid Function, Brushed Nickel
- Guest Bath 111 Volume Valve: Kohler, K-T97025-4-BN, Avid Volume Control, Brushed Nickel
- Mudroom 115 Faucet: Chicago Faucets, 509-GXKCAB, Chrome
Appliances:
- Kitchen 103 Ref: Subzero, IC-30R-LH, Custom Panel Ready
- Kitchen 103 Freezer: Subzero, IC-18FI-RH, Custom Panel Ready
- Kitchen 103 Wine Ref: Subzero, IW-18A-RH, Custom Panel Ready
- Kitchen 103 Dishwasher: Bosch, SHV88PW53N, Custom Panel Ready
- Kitchen 103 Garbage Disposal: KitchenAid, KCDS07ST
- Kitchen 103 Mixer Lift: Rev-A-Shelf, ML-WNHDSCOG-18-FL
- Kitchen 103 Double Oven Convection: KitchenAid, KODE507EBL
- Kitchen 103 Cooktop: Bosch, NITP669UC, Benchmark Induction Cooktop
- Kitchen 103 Downdraft Vent: Gaggenau, AL400791, 400 Series
- Kitchen 103 Microwave: GE Appliance, PVM9005SJSS
- Laundry 114 Washer: LG, WT7300CV, Graphite Steel
- Laundry 114 Dryer: LG, DLE7300VE, Graphite Steel
Lighting:
- 11” Flushmounts Throughout: Maxim, 57664WTSN, Satin Nickel
- 5” Flushmounts Throughout: Maxim, 57664WTSN, Satin Nickel
- 5” Recessed Cans Throughout: Juno, 5” IC Series, White
- Kitchen 103 Pendant at Island: Visual Comfort Studio, Chapman & Myers, Geneva 5” Pendant
- Primary Bath 108 Vanity Sconce: Sonneman, SKU 3833.16, Keel LED Bath Bar, White
- Primary Bath 108 Vanity Sconce: Circa Lighting, WS-366, Linger Wall / Bath Sconce, White
- Guest Bath 111 Vanity Pendant: Eurofase, Navada 1”, 16” & 24” lengths, Satin Nickel
- Garage 200 & Workshops Linear Flushmounts: Cree Lighting, LS4, 8’ long
- Exterior Step Lights Throughout: WAC, WD-LED200F-C, LEDme w/ Clear lens, Graphite
Landscape Materials
Landscape Stone:
- Stone at Lower Pond: Pennsylvania Bluestone
- Driveway stone: 5/8” minus basalt, dark grey color, roadbase
- Pathway stone: ¼” minus basalt, medium grey color, with topcoat of 1/8” buckskin sand from Manufactured Minerals
- Drain Edge: Mix of ½” Mexican pebbles, ½” & ¼” filter gravel
- Exterior Wood Walkways:
- 1×4 Tight Knot Cedar stained w/ Semi-transparent Ebony 9271 Osmo Stain
Exterior Bar Grating Walkways:
McNichols Bar Grating, Welded, Rectangular Bar, GW-100
Plantings
Welcome Garden & Entry:
Common Bugle, Autumn Fern, Creeping Lilyturf
Entry Garden:
Kinnikinnick, Sedum, Lavender, Catmint, Sage, Speedwell
Adjacent to House South Side:
Kinnikinnick, Salal, Mt Vernon Laurel
Butterfly Garden:
Moonshine Yarrow, Giant Hyssop, Star or Persia, White Mugwort, New England Aster, False Goat’s Beard, Great Masterwort, Bluebeard, Globe Thistle, Bee Balm, Catmint, Mountain Fleece, Western Sword Fern, Double White Rugosa Rose, Flowering Sage
Transition from Butterfly to East:
East Garden:
Harts Tongue Fern, Cannon’s Double Exbury Azalea, Lady Fern, White Flowering Heather, Salal, Mock Orange, Western Sword Fern, Pacific Rhododendron, Red-flowering Currant, Nootka Rose, Evergreen Huckleberry
Meadow Mix:
Yarrow, Bachelor’s Button, Cosmos, Larkspur, Wild Blue Flax, Corn Poppy
Furnishings:
- Sofa: Design Within Reach, Emmy, Bluff
- Coffee Table: Noguchi Table, Walnut
- Rug: Design Within Reach, Rowen Wool Handloom Rug
- Side Table: Design Within Reach, Hew Side Table
- Dining Table: Vintage by owner
- Dining Chairs: Vintage DCM Eames Molded Chair
One Kindesign has received this project from our submissions page. If you have a project you would like to submit, please visit our submit your work page for consideration!
0 comments