We’re suckers for a good patina. Give us green copper statues, walls crawling with ivy, and worn, burnished leather over something pristine any day.
Same goes for our houses: the blackened cedar siding on this Hudson Valley home is the effect of a Japanese technique called Shou Sugi Ban. Besides looking striking, it helps preserve the wood, helping it become waterproof and insect-repellant.
The Sleeve House by Brooklyn architects actual / office is made of two volumes which telescope together, with one part emerging from the other.
Sleeve House (6 images)
Despite the heavy use of black and grey, the sprawling, multi-level interior of the single family doesn’t feel overbearing or cold. That may be because though dark on the outside, the expansive windows giving views of the Catskills and Taconic Mountains make the home feel anything but closed off.
Considerations for energy and efficiency were applied at all possible junctures, made easier by the fact that the architects in this case were also the clients, meaning virtual freedom in execution.
They may have paid up front for this job, but we have a feeling it’ll pay dividends.
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