Oriented to absorb the afternoon sun, floor-to-ceiling doors comprise two-thirds of the home’s west-facing walls, which open to an elevated deck overlooking Island Bay. Combined with extra-thick building insulation, this passive element provides sufficient heating for the home, even during winter months—a true feat given the region’s cold seasonal winds.
Architects Mayer Sattler-Smith designed the bookshelves and Alvar Aalto the 406 lounge chair for Artek.
The living room structure soars to two stories, with banks of glass louvers at the upper level providing cross ventilation.
The children’s bathroom features a sink from Reece and Pittorica tiles from Classic Ceramics.
Now, the kitchen is an open-plan family hub in the addition.
The powder room just off the entry hall.
The firm modeled the home’s interior after typical seaside houses, with a light palette meant to provide a canvas for dramatic plays of sunlight.
The living room holds a Mags Soft Low sofa from Hay, a Mara coffee table from Article, and a Jotul woodstove.
A new structure near the dome holds an array of solar panels and three lithium-ion batteries. “The power is completely sustainable,” says Sam. “I can even run the air-conditioning on it.”
A cement slab and wood deck offer space for meals and stargazing. Sam built the furniture himself.
The loft features a lounging area and a cozy, built-in sleeping nook beside a window. Originally, the dome had a full second floor, but the result was a choppy layout of small spaces. “There was no good living area,” says Sam. “My instinct was to open it all up.” When he’s not at the property, he rents it out. The bedding is from Parachute Home.
Sam and his team ripped out the dilapidated drywall and kept the interior light by going with an off-the-shelf white paint for the walls and ceiling, which he accented with oiled birch hardwood. “I thought about doing wainscoting,” he says, “but decided to keep it simple.” His friend Julia Ehrlich oversaw the interior design; the two found many of the living room’s vintage pieces at flea markets in L.A.
Tech entrepreneur Sam Friedman found himself drawn to the desert after selling his app, ParkMe. He invested in a 112-acre property with an abandoned 1,600-square-foot geodesic dome, and then set to work transforming the structure into an off-grid retreat. He helmed the entire overhaul—from pulling permits and drawing up plans to developing the solar and gray water systems. He gutted and remodeled the structure with the assistance of day help and friends, while living in an on-site Airstream.
Richens invested money in certain high-end items, like the stove and timber. “The stovetop is five times more expensive than it could be, but it works and looks 10 times better,” he says.
A bathroom on the lower level connects to an indoor whirlpool.
The floor plan offers multiple areas for residents and guest to gather inside or outdoors.
Situated on opposite ends of the home, the two upstairs wings are connected by a suspended walkway above the main-floor living/dining areas.
teak and oak flooring, whitewashed walls, and soaring ceilings
A guest bedroom boasts CP1 wall lights designed by Charlotte Perriand in the 1960s. The rug is Moroccan and the sling chair is from Homenature in Southampton.
The living room opens to a terrace made of four slabs of black concrete separated by rows of woolly thyme. A fire pit designed by Jørgensen’s firm and Adirondack chairs from Erin Martin Design provide an ideal setting for taking in the scenery, especially at night. “Strangely, the view here really didn’t change a lot,” says Buttons. “The fire came up behind us, jumped around, and spared a lot of the surroundings. I can’t imagine finding another place like it.”
The wedge-shaped shower in the primary bathroom glimmers with sunlight from a full-height window. The tiles are from SomerTile, and the fixtures are from Grohe.
Original doors lead from a foyer into the main living area.
A large window in the bathroom shower enhances the indoor-outdoor experience that is central to Southern California living.
“My favorite thing about this home is how there are a number of complexions to the design, with each side of the home responding to a different set of conditions,” says architect Brett Farrow.
Western Red Cedar siding envelopes the home. This highly durable material is an ideal choice for weathering the coastal conditions.
The spacious and calming guest suite is set apart from the main living quarters and has a full private kitchen.
A neutral interior palette offsets the lush foliage visible from the home’s many windows.
Spacecube and Breathe were already collaborating on a demonstration unit for the Adaptable Living series when jeep suggested trying a remote location, to portray idyllic off-grid living.
A bedroom skylight allows residents to sleep beneath the stars.
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