Unique Faade of Secluded Home Covered in Intricate Wood Cut Outs

Nestled within the Austrian countryside sits a gorgeous home designed by architect Alexander Diem. The secluded residence is called Villa Am See and features a unique faade of intricate, repeat-pattern designs cut out from wood; their imagery is meant to symbolize food and the harvest. Not only are these beautifully-detailed panels something to admire, but they address the concerns of personal privacy. Each piece is movable and can be opened or closed on demand – reminiscent of a Chinese folding screen.

Artistic elements are integrated as part of the building's architecture. A piece by Nick Oberthaler is embedded in terrace's floor, and artist Plamen Dejanoff created an elaborate entrance door that references the kind that you'd find in a historical country house.

Inside of the structure, the interior areas were designated a value based on the amount of time spent in them. The living rooms are large and expansive with 18-foot ceilings, while the stairs are treated with less importance. This type of consideration, along with the light and shadows cast from the wood-cut panels, undoubtedly creates a tranquil home for its inhabitants.


Alexander Diem website
Photos by Andreas Balon
via [designboom]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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