This is a home with quiet ambitions to become a family heirloom with an intelligent plan to get there in stages. All at once, we considered both the big picture and the individual elements which will be built one by one, over time. We see the architecture of the house as being immediately tied to the land with a balance of heft (stone walls) and lightness (crittall doors and windows). The hill appears to grow around the house giving it a sense of permanence and gravitas. It is situated in a harsh mountainous landscape and to live in such an environment can be work - to stay warm, to stay cool. The aim for the interior was to offer both a connection to the land and a respite from it - to be an effortless occupation, to have an enveloping sense of warmth and gentleness. 

We look to the English farmhouse for such warmth, both contemporary and traditional. One that has been in a family for generations, where everything is selected for its beauty now and its imagined beauty once it ages - in the right place, scratches and scuffs are welcome. There is an informal elegance, and an unconditional, generous offering of artistry and story; be it the view, the chair you are sitting on, the whiskey you are drinking. There is a destination for everyone, even in stage 1, so the house can be comfortable with 2 or 10 people. 

As the architecture balances heft and lightness so does the interior. This was achieved by enhancing the places of prospect and the places of retreat with the use of materials; sheer linen drapes with stone floors in the spaces with expansive views, chunky carpet and forest green wool drapes in the more private rooms. Cabinetry that either hovers above the stone floor or nestles in it. There is a limited palette of materials so that even with seemingly heavy materials, the sum visual weight is balanced. Tactility is important, materials must be approachable, there should be some desire to touch everything, to leave a mark.