This new Whistler cabin in the rarefied environs of rural British Columbia offers everything a family could need for all-year-round occupation. Designed by Openspace Architecture, with landscaping by Donohoe Design that seamlessly blends the structure into the surrounding forest, Winterfell is the ultimate ski home.
A Whistler cabin for luxury and nature immersion
The UK-based clients wanted a house that combined the luxury of space with immersion in the verdant Whistler landscape. Set down in the valley, the house makes the most of this private, secluded location through an extensively glazed façade, with tall panes that stretch across floors to reveal the floorplate set back from the glass.
Openspace and Donohoe worked together to orientate the property within its 12,000 sq ft site, ensuring that natural features like rock outcrops and mature trees were preserved and made into focal points by their proximity to windows and terraces.
One of the house’s most enduring qualities is its ability to change character with the seasons. In autumn, the use of rusted Corten steel on the façade comes into its own as a backdrop to the flaming colours of the leaves, while the grey vertical cedar cladding and horizontal stonework reflect the local bedrock and provide a stark contrast against the snow.
‘The residence offers an unparalleled connection to the dynamic shifts of nature,’ the architects write. ‘The evening sun filters through the trees of the surrounding preserve, casting a captivating play of light upon the secluded back patio and pool zone.’ These areas, which surround the house, soften the line between architecture and nature. Every room experiences the daily and seasonable shift of light.
Other interior elements are more monumental, anchoring the interior to the site. These include the stone fireplace (mirrored by the prominent chimney stack), timber floors and wood millwork. Inside and out, materials have been chosen for the ability to weather and patinate, bringing the house ever closer to its surroundings.
Those tall windows also serve the double-height living room, which is set on the first floor above the bedrooms. Kitchen and dining spaces face the back patio and the surrounding woods, while the principal bedroom is tucked away in the most private spot, with mature trees framing the view of the pool area.
Openspace Architecture was founded by Don Gurney in 1998. Based in North Vancouver, the studio has built extensively in Whistler, as well as across Canada, California and more further afield. Donohoe Living Landscapes, founded by Inchbald School of Design-trained Ryan Donohoe, is an award-winning firm of landscape designers with a strong connection to the Pacific Northwest.
-
Europe’s auto industry regroups at the Brussels Motor Show: what’s new and notable for 20262026’s 102nd Brussels Motor Show played host to a number of new cars and concepts, catapulting this lesser-known expo into our sightlines
-
Wallpaper* Best Use of Material 2026: Beit Bin Nouh, Saudi Arabia, by Shahira FahmyBeit Bin Nouh by Shahira Fahmy is a captivating rebirth of a traditional mud brick home in AlUla, Saudi Arabia - which won it a place in our trio of Best Use of Material winners at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards: Boghossian’s gem wizardry dazzles in high jewelleryBoghossian's unique mix of craftsmanship and modern design is behind the edgy elegance of its jewellery – a worthy Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026 winner
-
A new Canadian house expands and extends a cottage on the banks of the St Lawrence RiverArchitects Bourgeois / Lechasseur have transformed an existing cottage into an elegant contemporary waterside retreat
-
This retreat deep in the woods of Canada takes visitors on a playful journey91.0 Bridge House, a new retreat by Omer Arbel, is designed like a path through the forest, suspended between ferns and tree canopy in the Gulf Island archipelago
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom Malibu beach pads to cosy cabins blanketed in snow, Wallpaper* has featured some incredible homes this month. We profile our favourites below
-
Explore the riches of Morse House, the Canadian modernist gem on the marketMorse House, designed by Thompson, Berwick & Pratt Architects in 1982 on Vancouver's Bowen Island, is on the market – might you be the new custodian of its modernist legacy?
-
Cosy up in a snowy Canadian cabin inspired by utilitarian farmhousesTimbertop is a minimalist shelter overlooking the woodland home of wild deer, porcupines and turkeys
-
Buy yourself a Sanctuary, a serene house above the British Columbia landscapeThe Sanctuary was designed by BattersbyHowat for clients who wanted a contemporary home that was also a retreat into nature. Now it’s on the market via West Coast Modern
-
La Maison de la Baie de l’Ours melds modernism into the shores of a Québécois lakeACDF Architecture’s grand family retreat in Quebec offers a series of flowing living spaces and private bedrooms beneath a monumental wooden roof
-
Peel back maple branches to reveal this cosy midcentury Vancouver gemOsler House, a midcentury Vancouver home, has been refreshed by Scott & Scott Architects, who wanted to pay tribute to the building's 20th-century modernist roots
