Oddly, the first thing that comes to mind about this project is the perfume Le Labo Santal 33, which I’d encountered in the air in NY and LA but had never smelled in Minneapolis until meeting this client. It’s one of my favorite smells. Nadine and Eric have a perfectly appointed MCM house on an incredible, dynamic site in Golden Valley on Bassett Creek. The clients wanted a pool and a reimagined backyard which, though amazing, wasn’t getting very much use. We made the large, formerly unused space under their existing deck into an amazing ‘room’ that leads out to the pool… an outdoor living room for the family to enjoy. Then we created an informal secondary space with a very private feel and an incredible view into the woods and creek. A fire-pit and benches make it a great place for the adults to hang while kids swim. We were able to create three new usable spaces that allow for a completely different relationship to their home and its environment.