Salal House

Salal House is a small custom forever home designed for a retired couple seeking a quiet, deeply rooted life in the Pacific Northwest woods. Set near the water but tucked into the forest rather than oriented toward views, the home embraces its setting through atmosphere, texture, and a strong connection to the surrounding landscape.

The house is defined by an expressive butterfly roof that gives the modest form a sense of lift and character while helping shape generous interior volumes. An attached garage is linked to the home by an entry breezeway, creating a sheltered threshold that marks the transition from arrival to retreat. A wraparound deck extends the living space outdoors, offering places to sit among the trees, follow the changing light, and move easily between house and landscape.

At the heart of the home, a great oversized sliding glass door opens the main living area to the deck, creating a broad, effortless connection to the woods. The great room is anchored by a wood stove, adding warmth, ritual, and a natural gathering point during the damp coastal months. Inside, the home is shaped around the couple’s eclectic collection of furniture, textiles, and art gathered from around the world. These pieces bring color, memory, and layered personal history to the restrained architectural form, creating a home that feels both crafted and deeply lived in.

Rather than framing a distant view, Salal House is designed for immersion: filtered light, mossy ground, evergreen canopy, and the quiet rhythms of the coastal forest. Compact, expressive, and enduring, the home is conceived as a comfortable and artful place to age in place, gather with loved ones, and remain connected to the natural character of the Pacific Northwest.

Photography: Poppi Photography