Though we love all projects great and small, building a beautiful home from the bottom up is as satisfying as it gets. Sometimes we get to work with clients from the get-go and help them unbox the spaces that they’ve been envisioning for years (usually via a packed Pinterest board. Here’s ours.), and sometimes we get to put something together ourselves! We love both processes–one of the best things about being a designer is that no two jobs are the same.

Today we’ll be spotlighting one of our favorite new-builds, which was featured in the Salt Lake Valley Parade of Homes this past summer. It’s called The Willow and was built by, as usual, Magleby Construction. We do a lot with Magleby and have worked alongside them for a few different new-builds. But with the Willow, there’s a twist. This is our lead designer Shawn’s home! So she greedily designed it all for herself (just kidding) (sort of).

But seriously, if you’re trying to unpack Shawn’s style and the team’s abilities, this is the place to do it. Welcome to The Willow! If you like what you see, feel free to contact us for a consultation.

We took a bit of a risk with this dark green exterior–which can look almost black in certain lighting–but it definitely paid off. It’s a clean and unique look that makes the house stand out without being gaudy or over the top.

The back of the home features a spacious (and I mean spacious) deck and patio, with a good amount of grassy space, a boxed garden, and cute matching shed. It’s got a little bit of everything! (Don’t miss the massive windowed wall on the back there, which peeks into the home’s great room.)

The Great Room

The Willow’s best feature is its great room. As you walk through the home’s heavy wooden door, the great room’s vaulted, exposed beam ceiling is the first thing to draw your eye, and it carries you straight to the windows that cover the entire back wall. The natural light is stunning–it gives an impression of never having left the outside world (as long as the blinds are up)–and the room leaves space for several separate-but-connected sitting areas.

The Deck

This deck is massive–it has plenty of space for, once again, multiple seating areas (and a barbecue or smoker). A theme in this home is leaving spaces wide open–no need to put walls where we don’t need ’em. The wide-open plan of the main floor allowed for this space to be left untouched, and it was definitely deckworthy.

The Kitchen

The kitchen balances gentle tones and clean lines (the product of tons of storage space), and doesn’t overcomplicate. It leads naturally to the dining space, which connects seamlessly to the gathering areas of the great room–it’s basically an all-in-one space, with just enough separation to keep the areas distinct.

The best feature of this kitchen? The little hidey pantry in the back corner. It’s completely open, but is hidden enough to stay private and has enough storage to stay neat anyways. Visual eaters beware!

Master Suite

The master suite employs the same bright cleanliness of the rest of the home, with simple, symmetrical lines and easy tones. The spaces of the bedroom and bathroom are spacious and functional, while not being over the top. They’re such calming spaces to walk into!

The Basement

Well, that was the entire main floor. It’s just the deck, great room, kitchen, and master suite. As a rambler, this is the perfect house for future retirees: everything you need’s on the main floor. The extra stuff? That’s in the basement.