Garakuta-do, "A House For Frivolous Things", Montpelier, Vermont

Garikutado means "a place for frivolous things," as the owners of this house jokingly call their beautiful art and artifacts from Japan. The house, built in 2004, was a simple ranch. I was asked to design an addition that would house their family room, a tea room/sunporch, a small library, a guest suite, and a laundry.

The addition needed to reflect the principles of Japanese art and homes...and the challenge is the the wife is a modernist while the husband is a traditionalist. I tried to marry the two sensibilities by using beautiful materials like mahogany and steel while focusing on craftsmanship. The spectacular gardens were constructed completely by hand by the owners.

 


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© copyright Sandra Vitzthum all rights reserved | photography © copyright Carolyn Bates all rights reserved