This Home Is The Perfect Eco-Friendly Retreat

Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada
Haus für Julia und Björn, Innauer-Matt Architekten ZT GmbH Innauer-Matt Architekten ZT GmbH Classic style houses
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On a steep embankment in the Austrian countryside, this newly built home from architects Innauer-Matt Architekten has been designed to to pay a stylish homage to the farmhouse atmosphere surrounding the property. For a long time, the only structure on this property was a nearby rural outbuilding, with an old mature walnut tree bearing witness to the years that this area was cultivated as farmland. However, this particularly steep and rocky spot was always too hard to cultivate, and thus it has been designated as  both a practical and scenic location for this new country home. The structure that now stands here is an intriguing blend of luxurious forest chalet, simple country cottage, and practical, modern home, with eco-friendly features wherever you look.

Practical Location

On a steep embankment in the Austrian countryside, this newly built home has been designed to to pay a stylish homage to the farmhouse atmosphere surrounding the property. For a long time, the only structure on this property was a nearby rural outbuilding, with an old mature walnut tree bearing witness to the years that this area was cultivated as farmland. However, this particularly steep and rocky spot was always too hard to cultivate, and thus it has been designated as  both a practical and scenic location for this new country home. The structure that now stands here is an intriguing blend of luxurious forest chalet, simple country cottage, and practical, modern home, with eco-friendly features wherever you look.

Latticework Shell

The logical and simple structure that now stands on the hill seems to belong here, as its long lines stretch between the old trees. In no way dominating the landscape, this modern home has been designed to conform to the hill upon which it has been set, following the contours of the sloping terrain. The entire exterior of the building has been designed with a shell resembling a basket weave or latticework, drawing a strong connection to handmade countryside crafts, or perhaps the airy silo sheds used for drying corn through the winter.

Facade

While you enter the home from the back, the front of the home is the area that enjoys the sweeping views, and therefore this side of the home has been given plenty of wide, glassy windows for soaking in the views.

Kitchen

Inside, the home is as simple and restrained as it is on the outside. Straight, clean lines characterize this interior landscape, with a quiet mixture of neutral shades ranging from cream to textured wood to polished charcoal grey countertops. Along the center line of the house, a stove sits in the middle, dividing the narrow elongated home into two halves. From here, the house is heated by an efficient solid fuel stove that produces both hot water and heat – and the rest is done by the sun through a passive heating system.

Dining Room with a View

The orientation of the home has been carefully conceived in order to provide optimum sunlight for the passive heating system that warms the home; a pleasant benefit of this orientation is the well-lit and scenic dining room that you see here! This dining room is full of fine, delicate lines that do their best to give transparency, allowing your eyes to fully absorb the beauty of the scenery and light without being loaded down with heavy furniture.

Warm Living Spaces

The other main floor living areas of the home are all arranged in a linear fashion, taking their place in a natural arrangement that conforms to the elongated rectangular shape of the home. Along the back wall, wooden walls made of locally sourced spruce offer depth with various sizes of niches, making for easy seating and display spaces. Throughout the space, the spruce floorboards offer a light and smooth appearance – underneath, they conceal underfloor heating elements that bring an added dimension of comfort to this simple and relaxing interior landscape. 

Love the appeal of this smooth, warm, and heated floor? Have a look at your best flooring options with this homify guide to get inspiration for your own home!

Latticework Theme

Unusual for a bathroom door, this unique wooden latticework piece is a direct mimicry of the exterior shell of the building. In an interior space that often receives little natural light through windows, this bathroom is given a breath of fresh air with this clever half-exposed door design.

Loft Office

Growing ever more comforting as you rise through the home's interior, the upper loft of the home includes a minimalist office space with smooth wooden planks covering every surface. Offering minimal visual distractions, this wood-clad space is insulated against sound as well, making a great workspace for anyone who requires a clutter-free thinking space.

Loft Sunroom

Ascending through the loft, you encounter a quiet sunroom wrapped up in its own little upper corner of the home. With a triangle peak forming the top half of the room, the subtle symbolism of this space works well to provide a sense of elevation and balance.

What do you think of this simple country home? Comment below!

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