Edmonds Sound House by Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors
Edmonds Sound House sits above Puget Sound in Edmonds, WA, United States, designed by Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors as a custom house oriented to water and trees. The project places primary living on a single main level for long-term accessibility while a smaller lower level steps into the slope. Wide glazing, deep overhangs, and a calm interior palette link daily life to the coastal forest setting and shifting maritime light.
Evening light settles over the Puget Sound while the house catches the glow across tall glass walls and shaded terraces. Inside, warm wood ceilings draw the eye toward the horizon and into the trees.
This custom house in Edmonds, WA holds to one clear idea: keep daily living on a single main level while opening every major room to the water and forest. Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors works with the slope rather than against it, stacking a compact lower level beneath the primary rooms. The result is a coastal home tuned to westward light, changing weather, and the practical needs of aging in place.
Stacked Volumes On Slope
From the water side, the house reads as a series of interlocking wings stepping down the hillside. Broad roof planes extend beyond the glass to temper glare and channel rain. The main floor projects outward so living, kitchen, and bedrooms align with the tree canopy, while the smaller lower level tucks into the grade and connects directly to terraces near the shoreline. This arrangement preserves views above and carves out quieter ground-level rooms for guests, work, or hobbies.
Living Level In The Trees
On the upper level, the central living room, kitchen, and dining area flow together under a continuous wood ceiling. Clerestory windows run just below the roofline, pulling in sky light even when shades on the larger glazing are drawn. Built-in cabinetry in warm wood wraps the kitchen wall, with tall panels concealing storage and appliances so the long island and bar stools set the tone for gathering. Furniture stays low and soft, keeping views open while giving the room an easy, lived-in rhythm.
Glass Walls To Water
Floor-to-ceiling glazing lines the rooms that face Puget Sound, framing cedar trunks and distant ferry routes like moving artwork. Slim dark frames trace strong verticals, echoing the surrounding forest and lending a measured grid to the elevations. Large sliding panels open the living room and bedrooms directly onto tiled decks protected by deep overhangs, so chairs and tables sit just behind cable railings at the bluff edge. Those sheltered outdoor rooms carry everyday routines through the shoulder seasons—breakfast with low winter sun, late summer evenings held in lingering warmth.
Courtyard As Quiet Buffer
Toward the street, the house turns inward and lowers its profile, using horizontal siding, fencing, and planted beds to create privacy. A small courtyard garden, edged by wood screens and house walls, folds gravel, boulders, and a single sculptural tree into a calm foreground. This protected court softens the transition from driveway to entry and screens neighboring homes without blocking borrowed greenery beyond. It also sets up a quiet counterpoint to the wide-open views on the opposite side of the house.
Light shifts across the interiors as clouds move over the Sound and trees sway in the foreground. Long rooflines, shaded decks, and continuous flooring keep indoor and outdoor rooms in conversation without demanding attention. In daily use, the house reads as a steady perch on the slope, holding its owners close to water, weather, and the familiar arc of the sun.
Photography courtesy of Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors
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