Wednesday, September 29, 2004.

Craig Telgenhoff's design-and-build home in Birch Bay Village is a study in native Northwest building materials and intriguing design.
Telgenhoff is a University of Washington-trained architect who has spentventured back to his native Whatcom County. He has not only started a design-and-build business here, but he has now constructed his first residence, a 2,000-square-foot home for him and wife Kara. Not your regular "starter home," this "coastal design" incorporates a variety of indigenous materials that "reflect the character of the area," he said.
The home is striking. Whether it's the all-cedar exterior and its many features outside, the 20-foot ceilings in the great room or the steel loft, Telgenhoff has instituted many design elements beyond the norm -- but not at a loss of comfort.

He hopes that his first self-built home will showcase the skill set brings -- his CLT Architectural design/build business.
 

Outside
A swooping, teardrop black driveway gives visitors the impression of rising toward the impressive house. That same vertical element is accented by long, narrow windows and tall cedar beams on the exterior. "It makes it all seem taller than it is," Telgenhoff said. "It is more visually powerful."  He noted that Birch Bay Village generally has a pretty mundane use of height.
 

His gray metal roof -- a snap-lock system with hemmed edges that hides the fasteners -- fits in with the coastal design, Telgenhoff said.
The cedar shingles are 12 inches tall, instead of the standard 6 inches. He also doubled them up to give a bolder shadow line underneath. It all works to emphasize the verticality of the design.

The outside millwork uses all real stones that complement the hills and valleys in the landscape. The landscaped terrain is meant to represent islands and waterways, all leading to the driveway -- the main waterway.
The wrap-around deck in the back helps connect every corner of the house. And while most houses have about seven corners in their foundation, Telgenhoff opted for 27. Telgenhoff used continous boards all the way up the length of the back of the house, again emphasizing the verticality.

The Great Room
As far as design goes, it doesn't get much more dramatic, and yet comfortable, than in the great room.  Telgenhoff lowered a steel loft into the 20-foot-high room that is complete with wool carpet, soft accent lighting and a gas fireplace. The great room is striking from the outside and alluring from the inside.  From the open-sided loft, soon to be Craig's office, there are views of the kitchen, great room and best of all, Mount Baker, can be seen from Craig's soon-to-be office.
Telgenhoff wanted the effect of a hanging loft, so he had the steel structure lowered in via crane and bolted to the walls and ceiling. Wood wouldn't have been strong enough for the task, nor would it have fit in with the overall theme of the design and the sharpness of the look.
The open space and the plentiful window light give a definite feeling of floating.
 

Telgenhoff's idea of having both "refuge" and "prospect" places in the house is contrasted between the great room and the rest of the structure. While the ceilings decline in height as you travel into the bedrooms, the great room gives a sense of expanse. Refuge is found in the bedrooms.
"This room is a contrast from the rest of the house," he said. "It provides very little relief, and that provides interest. It draws attention and provides an outstanding experience."  Kara said she likes the idea of the office still being connected to the rest of the house.
 

To carry rich color throughout the house, Telgenhoff used Brazilian cherry for the hardwood flooring in the kitchen, hallway and great room.
The unique accent lighting also helps the house "come alive," he said. "You can really see the detailing in the lines."
In fact, the steel mantel backfilled with fir, glass shelving and backlighting again accents verticality and rich colors.  Telgenhoff used incandescent lighting to give warmth.
 

Kitchen
The open floor plan of the kitchen adjoins the back of the house and the great room, while the back yard is easily reached via french doors and a deck.  Ample black matte porcelain counterspace and an island provide plenty of room for the practical needs of a kitchen, all while keeping true to the design. The black of the porcelain ties in with the steel, the slate steps into the kitchen from the great room, oil-rubbed bronze door fixtures and steel base plates outside.  Telgenhoff opted for stainless steel appliances.  A counter serves as an "informal barrier" and separates the kitchen from the great room, all while helping "define space while still providing a usual connection," he said.
Kara said she has enjoyed the openness of the kitchen. "You can see everything," she said. "You can be part of the dining room or the great room."

"What gives this space impact is the richness of materials and the variety," he said. "The eye is always going. It is not just a drywall box."
Telgenhoff said he had fun melding all the materials successfully.
 

Master bedroom
In the master bedroom, the carpet is inset to more cherry hardwood, french doors open onto the wrapping deck, and more vaulted ceilings extends over the half wall between the bedroom and the master bath. The elements work together to create a warm, rich feeling in this seems-larger-than-really-is comfortable space. Reeded glass between the bedroom and the soaker tub in the bathroom provide a sense of openness while in the tub.  The bathroom also features a walk-in closet, glass around the shower that limits barriers, a cast iron tub that took four guys to lay in, Grohe fixtures that "glide" and under-the-cabinet lights that fit snugly below hickory cabinets raised eight inches off the floor.
A built-up shower is designed so precisely that there is no puddling (the middle is a 32nd of an inch lower than the edges).
 

The rest of the house
On the way to an open utility room is a porcelain-tile bathroom with three-eighths-inch glass doors, a cast iron tub and hickory cabinets.
In fact, the hallway-like utility room brings in light from the outside and filters it over the 14-foot-high hall through a vaulted window into a spare bedroom, allowing natural light from two differing directions into the bedroom.  Telgenhoff also incorporated attic space above the garage. And yes, the garage floor is black concrete, continually tying into the rest of the house's design.  Kara, a music teacher, said that the only thing missing from the house is a piano room. Maybe Craig will just have to go back to his drawing board to try again sometime.