Perched on a scenic waterway on the southern end of Puget Sound in Washington state, the Case Inlet Retreat by Seattle architects MW|Works is a cabin whose architectural sophistication belies its modest materials and size. The 2,200-square-foot house sits on a forested bluff owned by the clients; for years, they stayed in an old fishing cabin on the property before undertaking a new build on their beloved site.
We spoke with firm principal Eric Walter, who designed the house with partner Steve Mongillo. He told us that “the intent was to make the building feel light on the landscape,” so the main level holds only one bedroom, a bath, and an open living room and kitchen. But the architects found clever ways to tuck more usable space into the structure while adhering to the client’s goal of putting the site first.
Photography by Jeremy Bittermann.
![though located in a rainy climate, the house is resolutely indoo 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-11-733x551.jpg)
![the living room is anchored in the forest but features an expansive water 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/case-inlet-house-remodelista-lounge-area-733x489.jpg)
![the house\2\17;s main heating radiates from beneath the concrete floors. 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-8-733x489.jpg)
![the kitchen and its immediately adjacent deck both utilize the same water resis 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/case-inlet-kitchen-733x547.jpg)
![the kitchen opens directly onto the ipe deck. 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/case-inlet-deck-733x489.jpg)
![the master bedroom, the only bedroom on the main level, overlooks the surr 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-4-733x504.jpg)
![the architects clad the bathroom walls in inexpensive tight knot cedar. a 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-6-733x903.jpg)
![the bathroom has ipe wood floors, including a small deck accessible 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-14-733x521.jpg)
![though the sliding glass doors between the kitchen and deck serve as an informa 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-9.jpg)
![a winding trail leads to the house from the road, and another trail links the h 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-10-733x409.jpg)
![at night the cabin glows like a lantern. the architects smartly tucked two smal 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-3-733x489.jpg)
![the cantilevered roof serves as a dramatic viewing deck to the puget sound and 28](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/case-inlet-stair-733x489.jpg)
![though the house is sleek and modern, it\2\17;s not a precious 29](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mwworks-case-inlet-retreat-remodelista-7-733x489.jpg)
For more, see our past coverage of Cottages & Cabins, including:
- A Sixties-Era ‘Builder’s Special’ Reimagined in Montauk
- A Modest Beach Cottage on Martha’s Vineyard Goes from “Bad Seventies” to “Good Seventies”
- An Off-the-Grid Cottage in New Zealand, Available for Rent
N.B. This post is an update; the original story ran on Gardenista on May 25, 2016.
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