Living smack dab on the rim of the Columbia River Gorge in Washington state, Vince and Carol Bryan possess some postcard-perfect views. Grassy plateaus along with charcoal-gray basalt cliffs plunge thousands of feet down to the canyon and twisting waterway below, while the bright blue sky stretches apparently to infinity. It’s the kind of opinion you do not need to muck about with.
So when they set out to create a royal guesthouse and entertainment space that sleeps four — a four-car garage is on the ground floor — they made certain the encompassing beauty not only took center stage, but eventually become a part of the layout also. Four large dormer windows capture the magnificent scenery outside, while the structure backs right up to a western-facing cliff, with 6 feet of natural, untreated basalt stone rising into the large second-floor living space. The twisted rocks discuss inside space using a Ping-Pong table along with a billiards table.
in a Glance
Who lives here: This really is a guesthouse owned by Vincent and Carol Bryan.
Location: Near George, Washington, on the Columbia River Gorge
Size: 4 bedroom alcoves, 1 bath and recreation room upstairs; 4-car garage downstairs
Kimberley Bryan
To capture the perspective, the building required to be oriented into the west, which meant backing to the west shore face. The Bryans heard a lot about building around basalt stone while constructing their main house; their grandma’s outgrowing that home lacked the few to construct the new guesthouse (dubbed The Carriage House).
“We knew that the rock found anywhere here wasn’t going anywhere, and we also knew we can build to it with very little disruption to the surroundings,” Vince says. “This property is about a melding of structures and nature, a mix of inside and outside. We love that.”
Kimberley Bryan
The guesthouse sits atop a four-car garage and comprises one large room with four bed alcoves created by large dormer windows. Rising well more than 6 feet in the floor, the natural basalt stone creates the entire back wall of the space. It was left completely natural and untreated. “There’s really a small odor it provides off,” says Vince. “When we built, there was lots of lichen growing on the rocks. That’s no longer there, but the odor remains one of vegetation, very much like the yeasty odor of [wine] fermentation, which,” states this wine grower and winery owner, “is a scent we love and are very knowledgeable about.”
The Ping-Pong table was made by joining a Ping-Pong surface into a large farm table.
Kimberley Bryan
Every dormer window confronts the jaw-dropping gorge. The four-car garage below homes machinery and supplies — and wine occasionally — utilized from the Bryans’ agricultural processes.
Having learned the hard way that clay roof was exposed to the often-high winds of the gorge, the Bryans chosen for steel roof in a color of red that complements the clay tiles on the main residence.
Mediterranean-inspired iron sconces flank every garage doorway, adding another layer to the mixture of stone, sagebrush, wood and cement plaster.
Kimberley Bryan
“This chamber is about get-togethers and having fun,” Carol says. “We needed a place for everyone to sleep, but also for children and grandchildren to just hang out and have fun. The main home is a wonderful gathering place, however it wasn’t designed with a lot of bedrooms or a lot of solitude — it’s very open. This guesthouse has made visiting much more comfy.”
Kimberley Bryan
Just large enough to accommodate a complete bed, every alcove delivers a gorgeous view, an adjoining closet and enough comparative privacy for multiple visiting family members to sleep in comfort.
Kimberley Bryan
A short, steep staircase contributes to a large storage space tucked behind the basalt. The large beam is composite wood.
Wide-plank wood laminate covers the floors and stairs, and highlights the identical tone from the variegated colors of the basalt.
Kimberley Bryan
The dormers let daytime light flooding into the space, while may lights illuminate it at night.
Kimberley Bryan
“We’ve naturally gathered items throughout the years that reflect our family and our interests,” Carol says. “This chamber is turning into a memorabilia room. The furniture is frankly hodgepodge right now, but it’s also private: The couch belonged to Vince’s mother, the blue chairs are out of our house in Edmonds 30 decades ago, along with the cane seat comes in the Mercer Island house we lived in throughout the 1990s.”
Kimberley Bryan
The basalt stone cliff blends seamlessly into the rock-faced carriage home wall, making a natural, unobtrusive appearance.
Kimberley Bryan
Keeping the base of the cliff intact meant making a sloping path up into the second-floor quarters. The basalt made for a durable surface with traction, significant throughout the snowy, freezing winters of Central Washington. The roofline extends out at a small angle in the pond, mimicking the point of the cliff tops in the distance and allowing for snow and water drainage.
Kimberley Bryan
Just across the driveway from the main home, the carriage house “helped bring about a feeling of completion” into the residence, says Carol.
Kimberley Bryan
The fountain was a DIY labor of love. “When our upcoming son-in-law told us that he was planning to marry our daughter, we suggested that he do a labor of love,” Vince says. “The result was this fountain.” The roses are mulched with grape seeds, a by-product of the winery operations; this mixture is just one of the few mulches the Bryans have tried that have enough weight and density to withstand the gorge’s high winds.
Kimberley Bryan
An effective visual halt for cars making their way down the steep driveway, the fountain anchors the space between the carriage house and the main house.
Kimberley Bryan
The Bryans planted a small orchard at the bottom of the cliff above the main house to supply pears and peaches as well as shade for grandchildren along with the bountiful wild rabbits.
Watch the Bryans’ Most Important Property