In the living room, interior designer Meredith Rebolledo of Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley paired pieces like Philippe Starck’s Eros chairs for Kartell and two 1960s Swedish chairs with the client’s Oushak rug.
Opaque, white masonry walls alternate with large glass expanses throughout to create a visual palette of shadow and light.
A 40-foot wall of sliding doors exposes the great room to the courtyard. The master bedroom also opens up to the outdoor space. The yard uses pervious paving and drought-tolerant plant species to reduce runoff and save water.
Maybe the most enviable bunk in the house,
the downstairs guest room has an unadulterated view out into the trees.
The large, naturally lit kitchen is the heart of the house. Messmate-clad cupboards and huge expanses of glass dominate the space where Angelucci uses the sink, Gorman works at the kitchen island, and Pepa and Hazel look on. Play in the courtyard between the kitchen and garage is easily supervised and enclosed from the alley behind the house.
The Bigelows were very involved in the design process, having studied up on LEED before even approaching Butler Armsden with rough sketches. The stairway was one such detail of the project that the homeowners had a clear vision for: light wood to match the rest of the interior, deep treads, and a gradual rise to help with accessibility. Across the breezeway, a Flexform chaise, woven chair, and coffee table stand atop Forest Stewardship Council-certified hardwood floors.
Modern Atrium House
The owners, inspired by mid-century modern architecture, hired Klopf Architecture to design an Eichler-inspired 21st-Century, energy efficient new home that would replace a dilapidated 1940s home. The home follows the gentle slope of the hillside while the overarching post-and-beam roof above provides an unchanging datum line. The changing moods of nature animate the house because of views through large glass walls at nearly every vantage point. Every square foot of the house remains close to the ground creating and adding to the sense of connection with nature.
This circa-1958 Eichler in Silicon Valley makes a mesmerizing first impression with its combination of ipe wood and neon-yellow resin. A garden, courtesy of landscape designer Bernard Trainor, fosters the illusion of more space.
Oakland–based Building Lab effortlessly connected the patio to the living and bedroom areas just beyond the striking wall of windows.
A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons, Architects. Fairhaven Tract Eichler Homes Model LJ-124, Orange, California, 1961. Photograph by Jason Schmidt, 2012. Courtesy Hammer Museum, Los Angeles.
The combination of high ceilings and a cathedral-style design add character to the kitchen area. Photo by Mariko Reed.
As with the rest of the house, the bathroom is blessed with ample natural light. Ann Sacks Athens tiles and white Ceasarstone countertop further enhance the sense of lightness. The custom vanity supports a Lacava sink.