SLO LIFE Magazine Dec/Jan 20/21

any exposed hardware on the beams or trim around the
windows. It also surprised me to learn that the home does
not have any heating or air conditioning and is powered by
only twelve solar panels.
Christensen stayed active in her role throughout the
project. When she came into town for progress visits, she
was able to stay on the property and really understand
how the house would feel at different times of the day. She
didn’t just oversee the project during her visits but was
part of the effort in whatever capacity she could be—even
installing all the light fixtures herself. She felt strongly
about having a pellet stove in the living room and was
open to the idea presented by Gibson of modernizing it by
adding a steel box around it. This was often the approach,
taking a traditional or original design detail and adding a
modern twist.
As with any remodel, hurdles will present themselves and
the Christiansen home was no exception. My two favorite
hurdles that turned into design features are the front door
and gutter down spouts. The team had a difficult time
finding a front door that was three and half feet wide and >>
56 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | DEC/JAN 2021