SVART HUS

Door County, WI

Project Overview:

Designer Kate Smith, along with her husband, Scott, partnered with Tim Raduenz of Form One Design to build this visually passive family home, situated on 5 open acres in Door County, Wisconsin. The area has deep Nordic and Scandinavian roots, which led to the design team choosing the nickname SVART HUS for the project. In Swedish, this means “black house.” 

Smith’s vision was to create a pair of structures that blended into the surroundings: the Suyaki™ with the rich evergreen backdrop (host to the family’s living and dining spaces, as well as the couple’s offices), and the Sugi with the natural prairie grass (which hosts three bedrooms, two baths). 

Smith focused on keeping clean lines throughout and marrying the indoor and outdoor spaces through a series of oversized windows that allows views from one building into the other.  Lighting was also a key priority; leaning towards brands like Schoolhouse, CB2, and The California Workshop to add warmth against the concrete flooring.

In addition to drafting the floorplan, Smith designed the exterior and interior scope, project managing alongside her husband, who was heavily involved in the build.  The couple resides in the residence full-time with their daughter.

*Final details & trims are still being workshopped by the designer.