Deck

Fotsch reframed the upper-level floor system to maximize the height of the doors and take them all the way to the ceiling. The expansive multi-slide doors from Kolbe provide a seamless transition to the outdoors and an uninterrupted view.

“The garden activates seclusion from the mundane world, creates tranquility in the city, and liberates the mind in the passage between the mundane world and nature,” says Principal Architect Hiroshi Nakamura. “When people feel stressed, they can look out the window at the garden and transfer their mind to it.”

A wooden staircase with built-in cabinetry connects to

The walls and ceilings are cladded in A grade plywood, and the floors in the main room are paneled in medium-toned engineered hardwood.

The structure's sleek metal framework is clad in locally-sourced wood.

In Oakland, the weather allows for indoor/outdoor living most of the year.

The bookcase in the great room holds about 3,500 books. Several hundred more can be found in the living room, and on the floor-to-ceiling shelves in Zeke and Teasel's offices.

Accessed through floor-to-ceiling glass sliders, the kitchen and living room open to terraces, which the family reserves for crafting. Their floors are covered in durable Pavestone Pewter Concrete Step Stones, which cost roughly $3.19 per 16-inch paver. Emilie attributes the home’s ample natural ventilation to the balconies as well as to its tall, thin profile, a choice made to keep the overall building footprint small.

A cozy study with custom banquette and Japanese elm table is located on the north side of the living room.

"The innovative shutters, which fold like an accordion on the two levels of the facade, allow one to act directly on the porosity between interior and exterior spaces,

The daybed beneath the window was specifically designed for LOVT. Apart from hiding storage, it can be moved from the wall and split into two unites to provide extra seating.

Ernesto designed the villa’s kitchen more “for every day,” he says, but the one added to the courtyard has a professional range and parrilla to accommodate groups. “I don’t need super-fancy equipment,” Ernesto says. He and Yektajo designed the bar stools.

A poured concrete patio sits between the two buildings. “I wanted to include those expressed 'joint' lines as part of the design, so our very clever landscaper put a shallow cut along the concrete once it had cured,” says Murphy.

The home is built into its grassy-dune landscape (icluding a day-lit lower level) yet still appears to float over its terrain.

The primary suite upstairs features folding windows which overlook the main living areas.