American firms Keystone Architecture and Casework have created a tall, thin cabin in northern Oregon that features whimsical accents and a cosy atmosphere.
The Alpine Noir Chalet is located in Government Camp, a village at the base of Mount Hood. The picturesque area is known for its skiing, hiking trails and other outdoor activities.

The owners are Oliver and Sara Fritsch, who have two young children. Oliver is an engineer, and Sara is president of Schoolhouse ? a Portland-based home decor and lighting company. Two Portland firms were enlisted for the cabin project ? Keystone Architecture, which designed the building, and Casework, which oversaw the interiors.

The clients desired a small, modern-style cabin that required minimal maintenance, "so that their time there could give them energy and not take it away". A source of inspiration for the design was the city of Amsterdam, where the family lived for several years. "Words like alpine, funk, and gezellig ? a Dutch word that loosely translates to cosy, but more ? drove the design direction," Casework said in a project description.

Surrounded by towering pine trees, the three-storey cabin has a tall, slender form that is evocative of Amsterdam's historic canal houses. A sloped roof sheds snow while also giving the building a distinctive appearance. The slanted line of the roof is repeated in other exterior elements, such as the shape of windows and the angle of a porch awning.
A custom black paint...