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Coldstream, B.C. house blends burned fir siding, steel, and concrete

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In a 100-year-old ranching town called Coldstream, designer Darcy Jones has created a 1,900-square-foot residence. Ther envelope reflects the same rugged quality of the surrounding landscape, made of burned fir siding, raw unpainted concrete block and bareDarcy Jones

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‘Crude modern’ is the term I use,’ says Mr. Jones. The use of rough unfinished materials for the exterior has a very pragmatic purpose. They age well, are inexpensive and require a minimum of maintenance.Darcy Jones

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Details such as exposed screw heads and lacquered rusted steel rails also reference the industrial aesthetic of farm machinery, and “found” artifacts – such as an old barrel, a dog house and a picnic table – have been left in place. It’s a down-to-earth farmhouse for the 21st century.Darcy Jones

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‘I was inspired by the gnarled and almost burned seeming bark of the area’s Ponderosa pines and the silvery Saskatoon bush that surrounds the site,’ says Mr. Jones.D'Arcy Jones

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Most of the house is expressed as a wood-and-glass volume that cantilevers more than two metres off the foundations. The ephemeral effect of the floating forms is grounded by the earthy materials and the drama of the dropD'Arcy Jones

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Every space is maximized for usage – beginning with the carport at the entrance way that includes an upper-level pottery studio, moving through to the children’s playroom/guest room and the hallway office space off the master bedroom, and peaking with the custom-built kitchen table with slide-in benches that extend the living area when not in use.Darcy Jones

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The inside is all streamlined sleek. The kitchen has been designed to fit like a glove with custom cabinetry and maximized storage area at every turn.Darcy Jones

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