Redmond Retreat for Entertaining

On such a large property, our first challenge was to determine a site plan that adequately met the homeowner’s goals, while optimizing the outdoor space for enjoyment and long-term functionality.

We organized their desired program into distinct outbuilding destinations, arranged on the site to act as boundaries that help define the outdoor experience. Thoughtful landscape design reinforces these destinations, while also creating a sense of connection and flow between each outdoor space.

The final plan adds an outdoor kitchen, lounge, and garden as extensions of the existing indoor kitchen, and orients a garage, guest suite, gym, and library in a cluster of connected but independent structures away from the main house for ultimate privacy.

The garage, guest suite, and gym share an inviting, light-filled entry, with floor-to-ceiling windows that visually connect to the yard beyond. The gym and guest suite then diverge, with separate interior entries that help maintain the privacy and discreteness of each space.

Within the gym space, luxurious amenities such as a beverage station, sauna, and private bathroom and shower provide utility and a more comfortable exercise and recovery experience. Access to a private yoga deck creates a connection to the outdoors for warm weather workouts or relaxation.

Across a small vestibule are the guest quarters, comprised of a living area, kitchenette, and guest bedroom with a private bath. In soft, sage-y greens, whites, and light woods, the guest suite feels relaxing and fresh, with a slightly traditional lean that offers a complementary contrast to the outbuilding’s more modern exterior.

A partially covered deck connects the guest suite to a new library, housed within a separate outbuilding. Also in a traditional style, the library provides walls of bookshelves, a picture window with bench seating, and a built-in, sunlit desk for work and study.

In these tailored spaces, even the garage is an experience. The homeowners love cars and were looking for an elevated space to both store and show off their collection of sports cars. The garage itself is a simple structure that packs a design punch.

A striking vaulted scissor truss creates the roof structure, with a custom skylight that runs the roof’s entire length, adding drama and light to the space. Walls finished in stained birch plywood and accent lighting elevate the garage from a mere workspace to a showroom experience.

Across the proposed fenced-in yard, nestled into the existing home, stands a full-service outdoor kitchen, outdoor lounge, and home garden. The outdoor kitchen visually connects to the existing indoor kitchen, offering a deeply integrated indoor-outdoor experience.

Beyond the outdoor kitchen lies a pergola-covered lounge, and, still beyond that, are a garden for growing herbs and vegetables, and a greenhouse for growing exotic plants year-round. Open, less cultivated spaces lie past the fenced-in yard, including a small fire pit and seating area from which to enjoy the rest of the site.

Light touches to the exterior entry sequence, such as fresh plantings, new trees, and a driveway that doubles as a pickle ball court help frame the existing home and connect it to the new outbuildings.

Complex projects such as these, with a variety of interconnected interior and exterior spaces are a delight for our multidisciplinary team, and highlight the advantages provided by engaging an integrated team right from the start.

Simultaneously exploring the interior and exterior experiences led to the design of seamless indoor-outdoor spaces, where the beauty of each space belies a complicated puzzle of programming and design needs.

Though distinct in their use and goals, each of the new structures and spaces on this site feel connected — linked by a common design language, creating a complementary collection of outbuildings nestled among the updated site design, directly meeting the homeowner’s needs.