The Lawn House: A Private Place For Your Projects
There are times when we all just need some space. The Lawn House by Clary Design (beginning operations in Housatonic, Mass. this summer) can be that space. Less involved and cluttered than a tiny home, and much more of a complete finished outbuilding than even the most modern shed, the Lawn House has been designed as an ideal space for creativity, relaxation, focus, or whatever else you can dream up.
Designer James Clary has had the Lawn House in the back of his mind ever since he worked for famed kinetic sculptor George Rickey as a young man. Rickey hosted many artists at his East Chatham, New York estate, and whether for creative or interpersonal reasons each had their own designated space on the property where they could focus on their work. “Artists each had their own environment,” Clary said. “I became attracted to the potential of these small outbuildings.”
As Clary’s high-end contracting business has grown in the Berkshires over the years, the image of the Lawn House never left him. Last year he built the elegant, minimalist prototype and this year he’s stepping back (as much as possible) from the job site and into his Housatonic shop to focus on the production.
“The Lawn House has been a passion project for me for a long time,” Clary said. “It’s fun, it’s cool, it’s quick. We have a decent sized house but I often just want a comfortable, well-designed space of my own to get away. I can have that now.” Lawn Houses start at around $20k and 8 by 12 feet. They are fully insulated, electrically wired, lit, heated and outfitted with large beautiful windows that help you feel secluded but not boxed in. While there will be set options when Lawn Houses are in full production, Clary will offer a range of customizable choices using unique, modern and green materials like state-of-the art siding from Richlite.
“We’ve sourced these great materials that you’re not going to find at Home Depot,” said Clary. “One of the things I think is great about the Lawn House is it gives you this contemporary look but you're not committing to a wing off your house that doesn’t match regional Colonial architecture.” Clary also pointed out that there are any number of commercial uses for the Lawn House, which sits on rollers. Since it can be loaded onto a trailer, you could bring a walk-in business or gallery to a festival, fair or farmers market, which Clary has already done with the prototype. He and project manager Jane Wright have been using the Lawn House as a sawdust-free office outside the workshop for a year now, in all seasons, and say it’s been a great addition.
Lawn Houses will also be available in different sizes, up to 10 by 16 feet, but the larger units would start to get pretty heavy if you wanted to move them often. As much as the Lawn House is a highly optimized, functional space, what is most impressive is how, when you see it, the design and idea of it gets your imagination racing with all of the usage possibilities. It manages to be its own show-stopping piece of art in the yard and yet still a blank canvas to make of it what you will.
The Lawn House (413) 232-0090 thelawnhouse@gmail.com
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