Price Residence

Location            The Swedish Barn Home is located within the grounds of the Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center across from Henry Cowell Redwood State Park off of Graham Hill Road.  The Center consists of approximately 440 acres including conference facilities and private homes, all situated in a heavily wooded mountain environment.

Challenge       The original home was destroyed in a devastating fire in October of 2009.  To avoid mitigation of endangered species, the new floor plan would have to fit the footprint of the old foundation, although the family needs had changed considerably from the time the house was originally purchased in 1981.  The owner’s desired to capture more fully the stunning views of the forest in the greenbelt behind them while creating a new “old home”.  The couple has a son and family living on a farm in Sweden which led to many of the Swedish design elements. The house also needed to be constructed within the budget of the insurance replacement cost.

Solution           From the moment you walk in the front door the eye is drawn to the forest view captured in a wall of windows 12’ high.  A ‘barn cupola’ brings additional light into the center of the house.  The roof is standard wood framing with 14” fir beams, crafted by the contractor, to create the impression of a timber-frame structure.  Twelve inch wide pine planks were used for the main level flooring at the great-room, laundry and two bedrooms and baths.  The downstairs floor is stained concrete where the owners have their offices on opposite ends of a common room.  Generous French doors with operable sidelights open onto a patio and fireplace, further capturing the forest views.

Interior Design             The Interior Designer on this project is also the homeowner who has worked with wkm Architecture since 2001.  Desiring a sustainable approach to the project and starting from scratch in terms of furnishings, there are only 4 new pieces of furniture in the house.  All the remaining pieces are locally ‘recycled and reused,’ while supporting the Swedish Barn Home design narrative.