The Rundown: 5 Natural Products and Materials in a Contemporary Virginia Home

From a freestanding tub with a stone-like finish to floor-to-ceiling glass panels that blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces, this home feels at one with its surrounding wooded lot

Rather than looking like it was simply built on the lot, this 9,800-square-foot custom home in Virginia appears as though it belongs in the natural environment. From the way it emerges from the ground to the materials sourced directly from the site, the project brings the client’s dream of a home inspired by the wooden lot to life.

Here’s a rundown of the materials and products used to anchor the property into its environment:

 

A Freestanding Tub With a Stone-Like Appearance

Situated in the primary suite surrounded by glass, the Avalon tub from Native Trails offers the homeowners a quiet moment overlooking their property. The freestanding soaking tub is made from a combination of jute fiber and cement, offering a stone-like appearance with thick walls that provide greater insulation, according to Native Trails.

It's offered in both 62-inch and 72-inch sizes as well as a palette of 10 earthy colors. 


 

Glass Panels That Blur the Line Between Indoors and Outdoors

At its rear, the home features floor-to-ceiling glass from OTIIMA Glass Panels. The Portuguese company offers a range of customizable glass solutions, including horizontal and vertical sliding doors, curved windows, and skylights, among others.

While most notable in the rear of the home, a number of these customizable glass solutions are carried throughout the property, allowing for both continuity of design as well as a deeper connection to the outdoors no matter where the homeowners find themselves.

"...what OTIIMA offers is the freedom for the architect to create experiences for users," the company's website states. 


 

Locally-Sourced Timber

Throughout the home, locally-sourced timber brings a sense of cohesion, both throughout the space and with the landscape beyond.

Large wooden pillars in the main living area are intended to look like trees, and oak flooring and ceiling panels bring extra warmth to the space.

According to the project team, timber was sourced within a 20-mile radius of the home.


 

Stone Aggregate From Around the Property

A custom home requires a strong custom entrypoint, and the concrete walls leading guests up this drive are no exception. The curved retention walls lining the driveway draw the eye up toward the house and were crafted with stone aggregate found in the surrounding area.

The walls were no easy feat, but definitely worth the effort, says founder of RAAD Studio James Ramsey, who spearheaded the home's design.

“It was an incredibly crazy thing to have to build, but it really creates this almost Japanese minimalist, brutalist moment with the concrete,” he says.


 

Natural Stone Tile With a Hand-Stamped Wood Texture

An underground lap pool below the primary bedroom creates a spa-like atmosphere, with natural stone tile from Del Conca USA lining the walls and ceiling. The warm, neutral tiles were hand-stamped to produce a subtle wood-grain texture.

Shown in the shade Sand inside the home, Del Conca’s natural stone tile comes in several other finishes, including Bianco, Gray, and Dark Gray. They are also available in numerous formats, ranging from 4-inch-by-24-inch tiles to large format 24-inch-by-48-inch rectangles.


 

This is part of The Rundown, a series on the products and materials that went into building exceptional homes. For more information on this project, check out the full case study

About the Author

Catherine Sweeney

Catherine Sweeney is the associate editor for Pro Builder and Custom Builder, where she creates both digital and print content, including Pro Builder’s daily e-newsletter and various news stories for both brands. Before joining Endeavor, she began her career in local journalism, later pivoting to the commercial real estate industry where she worked for several years as a reporter and editor.

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