Architect Rex Hohlbein ’81 sits with clients Jim and Ann in an open sliding window of their home in Clyde Hill, Washington. The Hinoki House, a new view home in Bellevue’s 1950s Clyde Hill neighborhood, is exemplary of what has become known as “Northwest style.”
A hallmark of the house is walls made out of windows which lets in light and views of the trees, pond, and courtyard. In the living room, where the windows slide away, it opens into a stunning view of Lake Washington. There is a comfortable feeling of elegance and peacefulness within, along with some whimsy found along the way. It fits the region and is sensitive to the neighborhood and surrounding view homes. Its construction was done in an environmentally responsible way.
A gallery of photos of the Hinoki House can be found on the Rex Hohlbein Architects’ website.
About the photographer:
For the cover shot of the Hinoki House we turned to Northwest architectural photographer Michael Mathers. A former instructor of photography at Harvard University, he also apprenticed with noted Architectural Digest contributor Peter Aaron who pioneered the combining of cinematic style with architectural photography techniques. Michael’s own work has been seen in such publications as The New York Times Magazine, Interiors, Architecture, Metropolis, and Dwell.
With author Ann Wall Frank, the book Northwest Style: Interior Design and Architecture in the Pacific Northwest (Chronicle Books, 1999) captured the spirit and diversity of this region’s architecture, landscape, and lifestyle by presenting a collection of beautiful and distinctive homes in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. It still remains an important read for every student of regional architecture, construction, and style.
Michael lives near Astoria, Oregon, overlooking the widest part of the Columbia River. He has photographed lifestyles in and around the Northwest, and he also collaborated on the book Ranches of the American West (Rizzoli, 2009) with writer Linda Leigh Paul.