Saltwood House
Architectural Designer | OTO Design
Project Team | Lindal Home
Landscape Design | Client
Photography | Patrik
Status | Completed
Nestled on Lopez Island in the San Juan archipelago, this modern country home was envisioned as a refuge for a family of four a weekend retreat where the pace slows, and every space opens to the rhythms of land and sea. The exterior is clad in cedar siding treated to evoke the silvery, sun-worn tones of driftwood scattered along the island’s beaches, anchoring the home naturally in its coastal setting. Inside, materials shift in mood and texture: shou sugi ban ceilings bring intimacy to cozy spaces, while whitewashed pine brightens the high-energy heart of the home where family life unfolds. Throughout, expansive windows, skylights, and large operable doors invite natural ventilation and purify the air, making the home feel as fresh and restorative as its surroundings.
Designed in two wings, a private residential wing with a primary suite and two en suites, and a communal wing centered on gathering, the home is united by a striking visual connector. Floor-to-ceiling glass slices through the structure, framing uninterrupted views across 270 degrees of ocean and shoreline. At one end, a full-width sliding glass wall opens to a covered patio with ceiling heaters, creating an all-season indoor-outdoor living space that nearly doubles the kitchen and dining area during gatherings. The property’s greenhouse and cut gardens reflect the owners’ love for growing food and flowers, while multiple terraces and outdoor spaces shift with the seasons, offering moments of quiet retreat or celebration, always grounded in connection to the water.