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A Modern Retreat at the Far Edge of Ireland
As in all the best B&Bs, tea is offered within seconds of arrival. At Breac.House which opened recently on Horn Head near Dunfanaghy, it is served in little grey goblets of Inishowen clay commissioned from a local pottery. “We wanted a particular shade of grey,” owners Niall Campbell and Cathrine Burke explain, “with a slight purple hue. The colour of Muckish.” They nod through vast windows to the inky mountains of north Donegal. It’s just a detail in a house where attention to detail has been taken to magnificent extremes. A Pantone reference given conversational depth by two Dublin accountants who realized ten years ago that their careers were at…
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DIY Tips for Shou Sugi Ban
How should DIYers approach the Shou Sugi Ban process for the best results? For a durable burnt wood finish that will last 50 years or more, follow these Shou Sugi Ban application tips: Apply on softwoods only. As a result of its porous nature, cedar—Japanese cedar in particular—readily chars to the depth needed for a protective and appealing burnt wood finish. However, other softwoods, including pine and fir, are also good candidates. Avoid hardwoods, such as teak or walnut, which are denser and don’t char as readily. Skip the sanding. Because burning the wood surface removes any existing rough patches, there’s no need for sanding the wood before scorching it. If, however,…
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Downsize: Living Large in a Small House
With the current trend toward de-cluttering and downsizing, there are plenty of books about how to winnow down possessions to the few that are truly necessary and loved. This book shows how you can live well once that’s done. In “Downsize: Living Large in a Small House” (2019), author Sheri Koones focuses on practical ways to live well at home once you’ve streamlined your belongings and are living more compactly. “It scares people to think of moving into a smaller space, but every single person I interviewed who has made the transition says they are so happy they did. Time and again, people used the word ‘liberated’ to describe their…
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Striking Shou Sugi Ban Tunnel connects Old and New
Every home has a story, and for this renewed West Australian home, it began at the start of the 20th century. When the owners decided to build a new home on the traditional farmhouse site, they identified the need to take a considered, trusted and respectful approach to honor what had gone before, but still deliver a contemporary, progressive design. Humphrey Homes was appointed to take on the challenge, building a three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home over 555 sq meters that could be described as a master of contrast. Humphrey Homes Owner and Director Dean Humphrey said contrast was shown in the architecture, emotion, textures and history of the build. “This home…
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Inside a Modern Lake Home
A talented young designer helps create a modern, minimalist and sublime Lake Michigan home for his parents. Camp MINOH, the name for the Heathfield family retreat, is tucked into a sublime stretch of sandy Lake Michigan shoreline north of Charlevoix. The property is peppered with birch and pine and not far away a Wyeth-esque barn, its timbers scorched by a past fire, is a reminder of the area’s rural roots. Those features helped inform Camp MINOH’s design—but only after they’d filtered through the inspired imagination of the young designer (now a licensed architect) who was integral to the design team, Andrew Heathfield. Andrew, fresh out of University of Michigan’s architecture…
