Naturally Elegant Little Ship Home by Barrett Studio Architects

Welcome to our gallery focusing on the Little Ship house, a design by Barrett Studio Architects.

Set in the Boulder foothills of Colorado, this new home is the result of a story of resilience in the face of disaster.

In 2010, the homeowner lost her prior house to the Four Mile Fire. This began a journey of “exploration through grief, community, and ultimately security and resilience.”

The new home, at just under 2,000 square feet, is designed toward simplicity, functionality, and sustainability. Throughout the interior, from the living room, kitchen, and bedroom areas, function and form are paired to inspiring effect.

There are a number of built-in functionalities within the living spaces that manage to hide functional elements and clutter behind closed doors, maintaining a minimalist aesthetic.

Bedroom suites are situated on opposite ends of the home, allowing for a guest suite that can accommodate the homeowner’s social lifestyle. It could also transition into live-in care space as she ages.

Because of the hard lessons learned, the exterior was designed with fire-resistant materials to ward off future disaster. The interior color and material palette reinforces the grounded and calming nature of the home design.

Stretched across an east-west axis, the home is placed to maximize sunlight absorption, storing it in the dark mass floor. A central clerestory to the north balances the daylight.

With the addition of a large active solar array on the roof, the home achieves almost net-zero energy performance.

A massive deck sweeps the entire length of the house, luxuriously spreading out like the bow of a ship to offer expansive views of the surrounding valley and big sky.

Photography: Maggie Flickinger

Here we see the broad expanse of the home, with the massive solar array on the roof collecting energy underneath the clear blue sky. The deck can be seen crossing the entire length of the house.

Here’s the home on approach from the road, with the front entry tucked neatly between the large volume and the garage, framed in rich natural wood beams.

A close look at the entry reveals a neatly shaded space, framed in those large natural wood beams for a soft contrast and natural ambiance.

Moving inside the home, we can see how rich natural wood informs the entire design. Natural wood beams cross an expanse of white vaulted ceiling in the living room.

Small cutouts in the fireplace wall feature inner lighting and perfect placement for the homeowner’s artwork. Subtle details like this help make the minimalist space into a welcoming retreat.

The natural wood used throughout, from the flooring to the cabinetry and window frames, appears in a narrow band of shades, making for a neatly cohesive design.

The massive natural wood exposed beams run the length of the house, ensuring a solid and functional look that’s equal parts utilitarian and warmly aesthetic.

Here we see the full expanse of the open plan space at the center of the home. Across from the living room we see the kitchen, with a large window to the right offering sunlit bench seating for the owner and her pup.

The entryway, at left, can be secluded with glass French doors, another way of keeping rooms discrete but open and visible. The tile flooring here makes for a nice contrast and holds heat well.

The kitchen centers on a large natural wood island, with matching wood cabinetry all around. A light green subway tile backsplash, along with stainless steel appliances, offers just the right amount of complexity and contrast.

The subway tile backsplash features a wall-cove cutout for display, similar to those found next to the fireplace. Details like this truly enhance the comforting atmosphere of the home.

The primary bath suite features a glass enclosed walk-in shower with white tile walls, a change of material while keeping the same color palette used throughout the home as stylistic connective tissue.

The bathroom mirrors the look of the kitchen with a subtle strip of subway tile above the vanity, as well as light natural wood cabinetry with the same minimalist steel hardware.

Here’s a peek at a home office space in the private area of the home, another room with direct deck access via glass and wood framed doors.

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(c) 2015