Slatted Beach Retreat by Blue Truck Studio. Photo: Gregg Segal.
Architects, are you looking to create homes that combine beauty, sustainability, and lasting performance? Yellow Cedar offers a compelling solution in modern home design. Celebrated for its exceptional durability and versatile applications, this long-revered wood brings warmth and character to modern homes through features like distinctive siding, elegant outdoor structures, and refined interior finishes.
With roots in Indigenous traditions, where every part of the cedar tree held purpose, Yellow Cedar carries forward a legacy of connection to place and home. Today’s architects are rediscovering its golden warmth and resilient properties, incorporating this remarkable material into contemporary house designs. The distinctive character of Yellow Cedar allows architects to create homes that not only captivate visually but also provide deeply personal, sustainable living spaces that mature gracefully over time, developing a rich patina that tells the story of a well-lived life.
Architect: Blue Truck Studio
Interior design: Mary Valaika Design,
Photo: Gregg Segal
From loud ’90s-era architecture to a warm, inviting beach home, this transformation was achieved through a thoughtful and comprehensive design approach. The clients here were thrilled with their seaside location but dissatisfied with the home’s wild geometries, which included octagon-shaped rooms and triangular spaces. They envisioned a more serene and cohesive environment reminiscent of the Sea Ranch aesthetic, characterized by simple forms that harmonize with nature.
The architects focused on reimagining the interior to cultivate calm, open spaces that flowed seamlessly into one another, enhancing the overall sense of tranquility within the home. For the exterior, they introduced custom-milled Yellow Cedar siding, which elegantly wrapped around the house, simplifying its form while providing essential privacy. This choice not only added a stunning natural, warm glow to the facade but also showcased the unique grain and texture of the Yellow Cedar, enriching the home’s character. The durability of Yellow Cedar further solidified its role as a perfect fit for coastal surroundings, ensuring that the home would withstand the elements while maintaining its beauty over time.
Architect: RUFproject
Photographs: Ivan Hunter
Nestled beautifully within its natural surroundings, the stunning cabin features dramatic Yellow Cedar posts and beams that extend beyond the structure, making a bold architectural statement. These striking timber elements not only enhance the visual appeal of the home but also reflect the regional west coast vernacular, drawing inspiration from the post-and-beam construction style pioneered by architects like Ron Thom and Arthur Erickson. The Yellow Cedar beams create a captivating contrast against the extensive glazing, framing breathtaking views of the landscape and establishing a seamless connection between the interior and exterior spaces.
Beyond their aesthetic allure, the Yellow Cedar posts and beams play an essential role in the cabin’s functionality. The structure is designed to resemble a bridge, minimizing its footprint while allowing native grasses and flora to flourish beneath. The strong horizontals of the heavy timbers echo the horizon, while the natural warmth of the Yellow Cedar adds a rustic charm, beautifully merging the elegance of modern design with the cozy feel of a log cabin. This thoughtful integration of dramatic Yellow Cedar elements not only fulfills the clients’ desire for a “modern log cabin” aesthetic but also redefines regional architecture, creating a sophisticated retreat that resonates with its stunning oceanfront setting.
Architect: Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Location: Sacramento, California
Yellow Cedar plays a pivotal role in this innovative urban infill project, where it helps articulate the building’s dual nature as both a family residence and a flexible-use space. The architects chose Yellow Cedar for its distinctive pale golden hue, which they thoughtfully whitewashed to achieve a more neutral palette. This sophisticated application creates a striking contrast with the black-oxide steel base while respectfully nodding to the historic clapboard homes in the Boulevard Park neighborhood. The material’s inherent durability and dimensional stability made it an ideal choice for the deep-set wall assembly, allowing the architects to achieve their vision of fortress-like tectonics with modern refinement.
The vertical Yellow Cedar siding demonstrates remarkable versatility in meeting both aesthetic and functional goals. Its application in the thick-walled, faceted design creates dramatic shadow lines and frames stunning city views from the third-floor deck. The material’s natural resistance to decay ensures longevity in Sacramento’s climate, while its ability to age gracefully means the building will maintain its sophisticated presence over time.
Got a question about how to use Yellow Cedar in Modern Home Design? Contact us today – our technical experts are always happy to help with sourcing, specs and pro tips.
