Milo House, a Black-Clad Home on a Vermont Hillside

RESIDENTIAL · CORNWALL, VERMONT

Milo House stands on a wooded hillside in Cornwall, Vermont. Architect Elizabeth Herrmann divided the house into a series of staggered volumes, positioning rooms and windows in response to the slope, existing trees, and west-facing mountain views. Charred Japanese cedar wraps the exterior, while pale timber and white walls bring daylight into the high-ceilinged shared spaces.

Milo House in Vermont with dark timber cladding and a pitched roof, seen through trees and grass. — The house seen through the woods, with dark timber cladding, a pitched roof, and grasses beside the entrance.

Volumes Stepped Along the Slope

The house is named after Milo, homeowners Nathan and Seth’s dog. When the couple moved from Boston to Vermont, they wanted a long-term home in the woods with a low-maintenance exterior. Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design designed the project, and Red House Building constructed it.

The site includes an orchard and woodland, with views west towards the Adirondack Mountains. Different parts of the house step along the hillside, shifting in both height and position. Larger windows face either the surrounding trees or the distant mountains, while partially raised sections accommodate changes in grade. From a distance, the dark timber is close in tone to the surrounding tree trunks. The entrance, corners, and overlapping volumes become clearer at close range.

Side view of Milo House, showing two dark volumes and a detached building lower on the hillside. — From the side, two volumes meet at an offset; a detached outbuilding stands farther down the slope.

Charred timber façade, projecting upper volume, and covered entrance at Milo House. — A dark upper volume projects above the entrance, sheltering the porch below.

Charred Cedar Exterior

The exterior is clad in Nakamoto Forestry’s Gendai yakisugi. The Japanese cedar is flame-charred and then brushed once to remove a layer of surface soot, leaving the grain visible beneath the dark finish. Herrmann and the homeowners independently proposed the material during the early design stages. Nathan and Seth were concerned with durability and low upkeep; Herrmann wanted a façade whose colour and texture were close to the bark of the surrounding trees.

Herrmann notes that the yakisugi will not retain its original colour indefinitely. Sun, rain, and snow will continue to alter the surface as the timber weathers.

Timber-lined detached sauna with a bench, sauna heater, and large window facing the forest. — Timber slats line the walls and ceiling of the detached sauna, whose large window faces the forest.

Light Rooms Behind the Dark Façade

Pale timber floors, white walls, and wood-lined ceilings define the interior. The living room, dining area, and kitchen share a connected, high-ceilinged space. Windows facing different directions look towards the woodland and distant mountains, while also supporting cross-ventilation. A wood acoustic treatment across the lofty ceiling helps reduce sound reflection.

Milo House kitchen and timber dining table beneath a high ceiling, with windows facing the forest. — The kitchen island and dining table occupy the same high-ceilinged room, with pale timber flooring continuing towards the window-side living area.

Living room with a high timber ceiling, white walls, television, sofa, and corner windows. — A pale timber ceiling meets white walls in the living room, with corner windows facing the trees.

The kitchen pairs pale timber cabinetry with dark worktops. There is no solid partition between the island and dining table, and an adjacent glazed door opens directly outdoors. The living, dining, and kitchen area has the greatest ceiling height, while the bedroom sits beneath a lower pitched roof. A wide window beside the bed faces the nearby trees.

Rounded white chair, plants, and timber floor between two large living-room windows. — A rounded white chair sits between two large windows overlooking the nearby trees.

Open kitchen and dining area with pale timber cabinets, dark worktops, white walls, and glazed doors. — Seen from the living area, pale timber cabinetry and dark worktops stand against white walls.

Timber steps, glazed door, dining chairs, and a woodland-facing window beside the kitchen. — A short flight of timber steps beside the kitchen connects another floor level; the adjacent glazed door opens outdoors.

Timber kitchen island with a dark veined worktop, bar stools, and a forest view. — The kitchen island combines timber cabinetry with a dark, veined worktop; the window behind it faces the forest.

Dark grey shower with a glass screen, overhead shower, and side window. — Dark grey finishes cover the walls and floor of the shower, which receives daylight from a side window.

Bedroom beneath a pitched ceiling with a bed, green rug, wide window, and woodland view. — The bedroom sits beneath a pitched ceiling, with a wide window beside the bed facing nearby trees.

The position of each volume, window, and raised section follows the hillside, existing trees, and west-facing views. Dark yakisugi defines the exterior; pale timber and white walls shape the interior, where the rooms rely on daylight and views into the surrounding woodland.

Project credits

Project — Milo House
Location — Cornwall, Vermont, United States
Architecture — Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design / Elizabeth Herrmann
Construction — Red House Building
Exterior material — Nakamoto Forestry Gendai yakisugi
Photography — Ryan Bent
Images and original feature — Design Milk
Editorial adaptation — 01DES