Step Inside Saga Design’s Pine Grove Retreat With Architectural Photographer Ryan Flood

Today’s featured project transports us to Hood River, Oregon, where Saga Design Build’s Pine Grove Retreat sits beautifully nestled among the lush landscape of the Columbia River Gorge. Architectural photographer Ryan Flood expertly captures the essence of the home and its surroundings, showcasing its modern Scandinavian design. Flood’s imagery skillfully highlights the seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living spaces, framing the stunning landscape and surrounding mountains.

Ryan kicks things off, “I loved working with Saga on this project and seeing the way they interpreted not only the main house’s design, but the overall feel of the entire property with its multiple outbuildings. I feel they really nailed the balance of maintaining its rural character & incorporating that vernacular while also designing a stunning piece of modern, simple, understated luxury.”

He continues, “The poolside guest house is my favorite example of this, with its wide ranch-like porch and native stone facade. The Hood River Valley is full of sweeping pastoral scenes with magnificent snow-capped volcanos on the horizon, but it can sometimes feel like a rapidly changing architectural landscape.”

“This project isn’t near any other modern large-scale residential projects and is flanked by agricultural properties that have been operating as such for 100 years or more,” he recounts.

“I really appreciate the thoughtfulness in the way this property fits into the neighborhood even though it is quite different from it’s neighbors. The front of the home is visible from the road, but it doesn’t strike you as anything extra special. It’s only from the rear of the house that you truly get the feel of the expansive nature of the residence with its cluster of rural-modern buildings and stunning views.

The primary design of that area minimizes your separation from the outside and draws you into the natural environment.”

Inside, Ryan does a spectacular job of highlighting Pine Grove Retreat‘s thoughtful features and the craftsmanship poured into the home. We see the way different areas flow together and the elements that tie the spaces to one another, without each scene being too telling or overwhelming.

Ryan also masterfully shows off how the home is both immersed in the landscape, as well as how it frames and portrays its surroundings.

I asked Ryan to dive in to how he made some of his images from this shoot. Ryan shares:

“Although, it’s not my favorite photo from a compositional standpoint, I am most proud of what this photo achieves: 

I typically don’t love low angles, but I wanted to capture the feeling of standing in the kitchen while enjoying the view out of this wide-open (and beautifully engineered) window. Balancing all of the tonal values, from the reflective countertop to the outside view, and keeping detail and interest in the cabinets was a satisfying challenge!

My favorite shot from the group is probably the most simple:

I loved the feel of standing on this porch in the golden afternoon light, enveloped by the richness of the wood in addition to the peaceful view.”

Ryan mentions, “This shoot was commissioned by the architect and builder, and the photos are meant to capture the overall feel and layout of the project. However, the interior designer did an amazing job and I wish I was able to focus more on those details as well.”

One of my personal favorites from this shoot is the photograph below. The warm light and long shadows, the tranquility and the surrounding landscape – it gives off a great sense of place that I think is so powerful.

Many thanks to Ryan Flood and the folks at Saga Design Build for sharing this project with us!

See more of Ryan’s beautiful work at WWW.RYANFLOODPHOTO.COM and on Instagram @floodinthegorge.

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