Nestled in an old orchard at the toe of Patterson Mountain in Washington's Methow Valley, the Lynx Lane cabin remodel represents a delicate balance of old and new. The owner of the cabin has family ties to Norway and a love of Scandinavian design. Much of the original structure's details were meticulously reproduced from traditional Norwegian mountain cabins. 

Although charming and beautifully crafted, the existing cabin was cramped and dark, with a tiny kitchen. It also had a partially finished attic with only a pull-down ladder for access. The owner approached PBW with a request to add a staircase and create a more inviting second floor with a bathroom and two bedrooms. She referenced the tour de force Villa Mairea staircase by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, directing the design team to approach the project as a modern intervention in a traditional structure.

The remodel program came to include an expansion of the kitchen and dining room and addition of a partially covered flagstone terrace, opening to views of the mountains to the east and filling formerly dark spaces with light.

The greatest design challenge was defining the seam between existing and new, in both form and finish. Conceptually, the entry (west) side of the home is the "traditional" elevation and the east side, where most of the addition/remodel work took place, is the "modern" elevation.

The owner wanted to keep the two gable forms of the original cabin intact, rather than pop up the ceiling of the bedroom wing to accomodate the desired second floor expansion. The design team responded by creating a wood-clad, prismatic form for the staircase and bathroom. This "tower" rises above the two gables and its simplicity foregrounds the traditional clapboard siding and rich color of the existing forms. The entry side of the house offers a glimpse of the tower but otherwise retains the look of the existing house.

With so many existing materials and colors, the project could have come perilously close to visual cacophony. Through careful consideration of every condition, the design team worked with the owner to develop a vocabulary of old and new. At the interior, new spaces are clad with simple pine siding, serving as a foil to the deep red of aged fir at existing walls. Existing spaces retained refurbished fir beams, with white-washed tongue and goorve ceilings. The existing handsome stone fireplace remains a focal point, with the new exterior terrace's stone selected to match. The owner's beloved blues and reds match traditional colors from Norwegian cabins.

The Aalto-inspired fir staircase is the first thing a guest sees upon entry to the house. The stair's vertical slats, filtered natural light, and sinuous, custom-fabricated handrail announce the cabin as a joyful celebration of the owner's sense of style and love of design.