This week’s Cedar Book project is a remote island home that effortlessly harmonizes with its stunning surroundings.

Photos: Benjamin Benschneider

Award-winning wood design

Only accessible by private boat or a single runway airstrip, the site of this San Juan Islands Residence is as remote as it is remarkable. It’s also a place defi ned by natural contrasts—rock and sea, exposure and shelter, vast views and dense woods.

Designed by Vandervort Architects, the award-winning home occupies the footprint of a previous structure removed due to foundation failure. Strict local codes allowed the new building to retain its position, but the design reimagines the site entirely: two distinct wings—one for living, one for sleeping—linked by a low gallery and shaped by opposing gables. The layout opens to sweeping water views while offering quiet retreat into a protected cove.

The clients asked for a home that felt “breathtakingly appropriate” to its setting—something deeply responsive to land, light, and local vernacular. The result is a home that feels both elemental and refi ned, modern in form but timeless in tone.

Engaging with the elements

Western Red Cedar plays a central role in achieving that balance. Used throughout— on walls, ceilings, soffits, trim, siding, and decking—cedar provides both visual warmth and material harmony with the surrounding landscape. Which, as project architect Mike Butrim explains, was always part of the plan. Through deep engagement with the site and client, it became clear that nature’s most versatile building material was integral to the identity of this island home.

“I think we all knew cedar was going to play a prominent role in this house from the start based on tradition, past experience and the goals of the project,” he says.

One of those goals was supporting the home’s biophilic intent – cedar did this by introducing natural texture, calm visual rhythm, and a sense of warmth throughout the interior. Environmentally, cedar checked a lot of boxes too: durable, renewable, sustainably harvested, and lowimpact across its lifecycle.

Put simply, cedar met the moment – and then some.

“We needed an exterior cladding that was natural, naturally resistant to the harsh coastal climate, beautiful and fitting with the character of the San Juan Islands – cedar was all of those,” says Butrim. “On the interior we wanted a material that was warm, not too visually busy and that would be timeless. Again, cedar was the answer.”

Real Cedar Specifications 

GRADE – Interior: CVG, Siding: ‘C’ and Better Clear

SIZE – Interior: 1×6 paneling and trim, Siding: Random width channel siding, Decking: 2×4, grade not determined

FASTENING – Stainless steel

APPLIED FINISH – Siding: Weatherwood reactive pre-weathering stain, Interior: Natural finish, Decking: Cutek clear oil finish

WESTERN CEDAR SUPPLIER Issaquah Lumber

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Download the digital edition or order a free hard copy of Cedar Book XVIII to explore the latest in contemporary wood design.