Nestled just a stone's throw from the water, the home has been thoughtfully built into its tree-filled lot. Parking is provided by an oversized carport, which includes a Tesla charger.
The existing Ikea cabinet boxes received new Semihandmade fronts: the DIY Flat Slab painted Benjamin Moore's “Revere Pewter.” The butcher block was replaced with a Ceaserstone Empira White slab, and the wood shelves were preserved, though received new brass brackets. The brass hardware is from Rejuvenation and the pendant is the Pirlo from Tech Lighting. The new zellige tile is from Riad, in the Natural White color.
The corner is the family’s favorite gathering spot—“a contemporary cave for three,” says Serge. Luisa’s module, with its cactus-lined terrace, is visible through the glass wall.
The Shinomotos have filled their Southern California home with furniture by Taku and pieces by some of the artists and craftspeople whose work they also showcase at their Tortoise shops and showroom. The couple worked with architectural designer Ken Tanaka to remodel the house, once a cramped, two-bedroom rental. A sofa and tables by Taku join Jasper Morrison’s Three Sofa De Luxe sofa for Cappellini. The sliders are by Western Window Systems.
Designed for a creative couple from Los Angeles seeking a quiet retreat, this 380-square-foot sanctuary was conceived as something between a tent structure and a viewfinder: Openings draw focus to specific views across Great Oyster Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula while providing immediacy to the vegetated dunes of Dolphin Sands. From burying the utilities to paving access around the undulating terrain, Matt Williams Architects made every effort possible to minimize their encroachment on the site and blend the structure into the landscape.
In his renovation of Kate Brien Kitz and David Kitz’s Los Angeles home, architect Andrew Hall reinterpreted the original gable roof and siding. Landscape designers Mary Lange and Molly Funk transformed the yard with drought-tolerant plants. The walkway decking is from Kebony kebony, the Seaspray paint from Benjamin Moore, and the front door hardware from Emtek.
Modern Windsor chairs by Hay surround an oak extension table by Ethnicraft. “You flip a lever and it gets larger,” Lachapelle says. The original plan called for a center island, but the owners wanted the flexibility of a table they could also use as a prep surface. The oak cabinet behind the sofa is on casters for additional utility. “We can even use it outside,” the husband says.
A third of the house and deck cantilever out toward the stream, and the void beneath the deck provides a place for wood storage. The cabin sits just 100 feet from the water, and with the windows open you can hear the ambient rush of the stream from throughout the house.
Toronto architect Gregory Neudorf creates a pristine and practical 400-square-foot dwelling with nautical storage below deck.
Back to front: View of the Mullet House top two floors from backyard
View through the ground floor to the Pacific Ocean beyond
Kitchen and dining area: The homeowners wanted a simple and durable material palette.
A dry creek bed arranged beneath the glass corridor emphasizes its elevated positioning. The creek bed is composed of large native boulders and runs the length of the property.
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino aerial view
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino hallway
House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino inner courtyard and stairs
The kitchen now occupies the addition, and the island was detailed to look like a piece of furniture to better meld with the living room. The cabinet colors are Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone and Sherwin-Williams’s Garden Gate, and were handpainted instead of spray-finished, so as "not to have something too slick or sterile," says VW. "We wanted them to be warm and have personality."
The Hideout lives on the same five-acre property as another guesthouse Castillero owns, The Woodlands.
“I envision people writing their books, music, refuelling their creative flow,” says Castillero. He should know about its energizing power more than anyone, really: it brought him back to his love of architecture, after all. “It’s truly my new happy place.”
The use of consistent and contrasting flooring minimizes disorientation, and decks are accessed via zero-step thresholds. “More and more, I’m having talks with clients about flexible homes,” Wylie says. “They want homes that will work now and for future needs.”
Cozy!
The lower level, which contains the main communal spaces, has a vaulted ceiling that reaches nearly 12 feet in spots. The living room walls are painted Simply White by Benjamin Moore; Fireclay Tile is used for the kitchen backsplash.
The backside of the green-painted brick fireplace creates a space to showcase artwork in the kitchen and dining area.
Douglas fir beams, some of which were salvaged from the original home that sat on the property, run in perpendicular lines overhead. Certain sections of the ceiling are exposed, while others are covered in drywall. For flooring, the residents, who have two young children, selected durable polished concrete. The Sven Charme sofa is by Article and the teak bureau is vintage.
Barcelona-based Slow Studio builds a bioclimatic home for a couple who work with the United Nations.
Nestled amongst the classic cornish cottages, Guthens modernity shows itself. Over time the larch cladding will silver to blend in with its surroundings.
Kanuka Valley House by WireDog Architecture
500 more saves