The Modern A-Frame

• Editorial: Gibbs Smith
• Año: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781423647645
• Categoría: Architecture
• Categoría: Residential Architecture

Midcentury spaces made new: A-Frame homes from rustic to ultra-modern, mountain retreats to seaside getaways. The A-Frame home surged in popularity in the 1950s, and has captured the public's imagination with its playfully modern, steep-sloping roofline ever since. The Modern A-Frame celebrates seventeen diverse accounts of these minimalists cabins reinvented for the twenty-first century. Nostalgic escapes, heritage homes, full-time simplicity, and artists at work categorize the A-frames whose engaging stories are shared. Whether fabricated from a 1960s kit or as a new build via retro inspiration, the variety of styles and homeowners in this photo-driven collection beautifully captures the romance of a classic structure, which beckons to travelers and homebuyers today, just as it did sixty years ago. Perfect for the architectural enthusiast, midcentury-minded designer, or armchair traveler. Ben Rahn has been photographing architecture and interiors for more than twenty years. He founded A-Frame Studio in 2003 out of a desire to combine his love of design with his keen photographic eye. His work has been recognized internationally and has appeared in publications such as Dwell, Wallpaper, Conde Naste Traveller, and more. He lives in Toronto, Canada.

Full-Time
Simplicity

Kyst Hus

Union Bay, Vancouver Island

When a home has been on the market for more than a year, and resembles more of an out-building belonging to the adjacent property than a proper residence in and of itself, a prospective buyer might be hesitant to invest in it. However, all this neglected A-frame needed was a creative vision to make it shine.

Christine and Antonie were en route to meet with a realtor on Vancouver Island when they first drove past what they now call Kyst Hus—the dilapidated property stopped them in their tracks. Although the home and its lot were forlorn and wild, they realized this place had the potential to become something very beautiful.

Christine and Antonie’s home at the time, located in the Beaches neighborhood of bustling Toronto, did not even have a backyard. This overgrown parcel of land on Vancouver Island would allow their three children (ages four, six, and eight) to run free and unrestricted. Their city life had been enjoyable, but the island A-frame tugged at their hearts. Themselves both raised in rural areas, Christine and Antonie realized how much they wanted to raise their children in a place where they could really roam.

Four weeks after discovering the property, Christine and Antonie had sold their home in the Beaches, resigned from their jobs, said goodbye to friends and family, and moved across the country into their A-frame.

Over the course of the next four years, Christine and Antonie oversaw major renovations to restore Kyst Hus to a home of simple beauty and modern design. They were able to find a builder from the outset who agreed to work closely with them to bring their vision of minimalism and high-function design to life. Kai Lawrence of Standingbear Construction is a local custom home builder who patiently listened to all of Christine and Antonie’s ideas and needs, and helped the family to make the most of their small space.

Due to the condition of the home and surrounding property, nearly everything had to be modernized. In the interior they overhauled the layout; upgraded the kitchen and bathrooms; redid the flooring and stairs throughout; extended the loft area; and replaced lighting, windows, and doors. They updated the unstable outbuilding, originally a garage and carport, to serve as a woodshed and artist’s studio. Christine, an artist by trade, is now able to work in what has been christened “Kyst Hus Studio,” just a stone’s throw from the house.

Landscaping was perhaps their most interesting hurdle to tackle during the massive renovations: the area contains a high volume of rocks and boulders, similar to beaches nearby. Rather than fight the natural topography of their new home, Christine and Antonie chose to incorporate the rockwork as an integrated feature in their landscaping.

Living minimally has become a way of life for the family of five. Everything in the home does double duty: something can’t just look good, it also has to provide storage. Limiting the color palette to white and natural tones provides an open feel that extends to the outside; the airy feel of midcentury and contemporary furnishings complements the architecture but also works to make the small space feel larger.

Both Christine and Antonie have family ties to...