The den is now outfitted with custom storage for Joel’s vinyl collection. Also, this creates an area for the couple’s television out of the main living space.
A bench in the entry echoes the design language of the Donald Judd-inspired island, with a cushion sewn by Caroline from recycled fabric sourced at a salvage store.
A skylight was added to bring in more light, and the existing ceilings painted Benjamin Moore ‘Black Tar’ for contrast. The island pendant is the Schoolhouse Ray 17” Pendant and the stools are the Artek Aalto High Chair K65.
Engelsman gave the kitchen an L-shaped layout with a large island workspace at the center, and pushed the tall storage into the garage, to create a wide circulation space to access the dining room and backyard.
In the trendy neighborhood of Dublin 8, Studio And upgrades a 1920s pebble dash house for a creative couple on a tight budget.
The countertop is a custom Concrete Collaborative terrazzo, and the colored flecks nod to the wall tiles.
Sunlight spills into the primary bedroom, illuminating a wall of custom Birch cabinetry. Hanging pendant lights complement the neutral palette, and free up side table space.
She continues, “Four gable-roof buildings complement the centrally located library, each one solving its own specific part of the program in accordance with the adjoining section: The east building is for cooking and gardening; the south building is for arts and crafts; the west building houses law, science, and music; and the north building, accommodating the areas for rest and recovery, contains meditation and self development. Linking the volumes together—thematically as well as systematically—the library functions as the core and the bloodstream of the project.
Purchased from its original owner, the 1957 dwelling was reinvigorated, and turned into a space the family can call home for many years to come. “It’s been amazing to see new families buy in our neighborhood, and restore the homes back to their midcentury glory,” says Leah.
Inside, Graff restored cedar planking and added new walls and floor panels. The kitchen features fresh Fisher & Paykel appliances, while an original slanted wood wall with a built-in credenza defines the dining room. “We brought in Corian and used wood planking and terrazzo, since that was a big thing in the 1960s,” the architect says.
The wall of joinery with its cozy built-in bench seat is the kids’ designated play zone, with the sleek cabinetry making it easy to pack away toys.
The light and airy kitchen now overlooks the open-plan living space. To the left, where the entry once was, is a small home office.
Harry designed the kitchen to feel like furniture rather than cabinetry. The mosaic tiled backsplash (Nagoya Mosaic-Tile Co from Academy Tiles) and the dropped overhead cabinet's rattan inserts are a nod to midcentury style.
A steel staircase connects the living room to the new second story while acting as a functional sculpture in the space. Cameron repurposed the timber paneling from another building site.
Big Branch Woodworking and Lackey Construction fabricated the cabinetry throughout the home, including the birch built-ins in the mudroom, designed by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Each family member has his or her own cubby with storage for coats, shoes, hats and gloves, with built-in outlets for charging iPhones.
The couple's daughter reads in the cozy nook just inside the front door painted in a vibrant blue from Benjamin Moore. Of the storage area below, Fredrik says, "In Sweden, there's always a place to sit and take off your shoes. This is a version of that."
Fredrik designed a rooftop deck that offers 360-degree views, including east to Dodger Stadium and southeast to the Downtown L.A. skyline.
A table from Design Within Reach is surrounded by white Carl Malmsten chairs bought by Fredrik's grandmother in the 1960s. The couple recently added the two black chairs. Above is a pendant by Ravenhill Studio and partially seen at right is an artwork by Mary Neville.
A BoConcept sectional is joined by a Yngve Ekström lounge chair and ottoman and an Eames chair in the living area. The couple found the vintage Danish coffee table at a flea market, while the traditional Indian stools were purchased for their wedding. Whitewashed poplar clads the far wall.
A wooden grid wall separates the kitchen from the couple’s work area, which features a one-armed sofa and a large paper pendant, both of their design. The family dog, Billie, often gets a smile from Junko for good behavior.
A drop ceiling was removed to expose the home’s crooked, hundred-year-old haris, or beams, like the one over the dining area. The table and chairs, the articulated linear pendant, and the trio of ink-blackened walnut pendants were all designed by the couple and, like many other furnishings in the home, built by +Veve, a local woodcraft studio. It was partly the tight cooperation with +Veve that led Chris and Junko to establish Craftsman Collective, a project that connects talented international designers with traditional craft workshops.
The couple flipped the typical townhouse layout by putting the bedrooms on the ground floor and the living areas upstairs. “The lower floors of machiyas tend to be cave-like,” says Chris, “so we decided to sleep in the cave and live upstairs in the bright open area.”
A look at the lower-level bathroom and courtyard garden.
Behind the glass facade is the couple’s workshop. The bicycles are prototypes they designed and use as their primary means of transportation. Called Metro-Pedals, they’re built of lightweight aircraft steel and feature interchangeable cargo accessories, low maintenance internal gears, and hydraulic brakes. “They’re the ultimate utility vehicle for the modern metropolis,” says Chris.
Like the other houses on the pedestrian-only street, their home comes right up to the pavement’s edge, but unlike any other, it greets passersby with a wide glass facade.
Palm trees, box palms and ferns give the backyard a verdant, tropical ambiance.
Homeowners Izabel and Paul made a large open kitchen a top priority, insisting on counters at double the standard width.
The foyer gives way to a dramatically long, uninterrupted staircase, with the living room and kitchen at right.
A Dutch door at the entrance, with the grain of the exterior facade's darkened cedar visible just outside
“Everything needed to be approachable and simple,” says Hilary. “The house reflects who we are.”
While the exterior facade is clad in cedar shingles, teak, and clay, the interiors feature French oak louvers, beams, and floors to further enhance the home's warmth and texture.
Architect Rocio Romero designs ADUs that are conceived as studios, backyard offices, guest cottages, and short-term getaways. She’s sold over 50 prefab units in 17 different states, and recently launched a series of more modestly sized, construct-it-yourself structures dubbed the Camp series. The 456-square-foot Base Camp and 312-square-foot Fish Camp will both be priced in the $20,000 range. At just over 300 square feet, the Fish Camp is the smaller of the two Camp styles, but the prototype illustrates its utility as guesthouse or office.
Cooking and eating together is an essential part of life on the ranch. The floors throughout the open kitchen and dining area are wide-plank, engineered white oak by Castle Bespoke. A pair of copper Semi Pendants by Gubi hangs above the island. Green CH47 chairs by Carl Hansen surround a Solo Oblong dining table from De Le Espada.
Now, built-in sofas line the perimeter of the room and utilize the room’s shape better.
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