The Spa house is a modern home designed to be an escape from the world – an every day house as a vacation house. Our client wanted to feel as though each day he was returning to his own personal spa resort. He asked for a Mojo room – a lounge area just off the kitchen for friends and family to hang out. Our site afforded spectacular views to the west of Folsom Lake, but created challenges in terms of how to address the hot afternoon sun, and a sixty foot height differential from the front to the back of the ½ acre property.
We capitalized on our steeply sloped site to create a home on levels defined by a 3-story tower element overlooking the lake. The main living space is on the upper level, and includes the dining, kitchen, Mojo room, and living room arranged in a linear fashion with floor-to-ceiling windows opening up onto a patio with views of the lake. These western facing windows are buffered from the afternoon sun by a colonnade element with a trellised covering.
A bridge from the main space connects to the tower on the third level where the master suite is located. On the second level, is an office which has no interior connection to the upper main house – a deliberate move to separate work functions from the dwelling space.
In keeping with our spa theme, the interior of the house has a soft neutral color palette. Accent colors in the blue-green shades of the sea, are introduced in the glass mosaic tile, accent walls, lighting, and the plastered fireplace. At night, a hidden blue LED fixture turns the main living space into a serene space awash in a dreamy indigo light. The Spa House is intended to be a place to sit and think with minimal interruption, and a clean Modern feel.
Contractor: Mojo Builders, Inc.
Photographry: Dave Adams Photography