The terrace attached to the primary bedroom overlooks the home's fenced-in backyard.
A tall wooden fence borders the property, creating a peaceful and private city escape.
The backsplash and countertops are green quartzite to bring the colors of nature inside (but in retrospect, Bassam and Ming would pick another material besides natural stone for ease of maintenance). The flooring and all the cabinetry is natural white oak. The pendant hanging over the dining table is NR2 by Moooi, chosen for its transparency.
In the evening, the house looks like a lantern. Originally, the homeowners planned to paint the house a light color. “Bassel encouraged us to go bold,” says Ming. “The contrast at night is more intense.” The exterior is painted in Calico Blue from Benjamin Moore, which is a dark green.
Floor Plan of Courtyard House by Murray Legge Architecture
The remodeled kitchen offers a whole corner of glass, and continues as a backsplash beneath the new cabinetry.
"The generous nearly half-acre lot presents a secluded park-like setting with mature trees, and hillside nature trails leading up to Loma Linda Drive above,
The entrance now has a new glass front door and bespoke casework.
“I walked in and thought, this room wants to be low,” says Kirsten. Friends in Amsterdam had the same sofa. “The kids would jump all over it, and I love that kind of feeling. I wanted to bring that to our house.”
An inviting entry nook—now featuring an Album surfboard and Cultiver towels—welcomes guests to the house.
Backdrop’s After Hours, a soft charcoal hue, gives Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown’s home in Woodland Hills, California, sleek curb appeal. Lund Sconces by Kuzco Lighting punctuate the exterior, and the streamlined garage doors are by Amarr.
Homeowners Izabel and Paul made a large open kitchen a top priority, insisting on counters at double the standard width.
"A matching bench extends into the open shower where accordion corner windows can open entirely,
The terrazzo is "Italian Black
Two Faber Cylindra mount range hoods add contrast above the cooktop, while coordinating with the Paperclip stools by Kinetic.
"We worked closely with the chef of the family, Mike, to fine tune the requirements for adjacency, surfaces, and lighting,
"This is my favorite space," Melissa says of their bedroom. "I spend a lot of time in our bedroom reading or watching the kids play outside. It is very cozy and peaceful." Brian built a playhouse for the kids, which his daughter uses as an art studio.
Brian and Melissa's two young children spend hours playing in the yard. With Melissa's mother in a house on the same property, the kids have easy access to Grandma whenever she's in town. "It's such a unique experience having multiple generations together," Brian says. "If the kids get up early, they can just run over to Melissa's mom's and spend time with her."
A wall of built-in storage cubbies, shelving, and a bench anchors the bright white-painted bedroom, which features a walk-in closet.
A 100-year-old oak shades the front of the house, which is clad in weathering yellow cedar.
Walnut and Formica cabinetry, Neolith basalt counters, and concrete floors make up the kitchen’s minimal palette; a large clerestory ushers in natural light.
“From anywhere in the house, you have a sense of the outdoors,” says Melonie, “and yet it’s very private.” Ikegami agrees. “The building was really about the landscape—it can dissolve into the background,” he says. In the master bedroom, Japanese Tansu chests from the couple’s previous home flank a Duxiana bed. The full-height windows and swing door are from Western Window Systems.
Techo-Bloc’s Aquastorm pavers are designed to allow grass to grow between them, creating a unique play between the softness of grass and the functionality of concrete. They’re also anti-flood and permeable, making them as functional as they are beautiful.
“They were the lightest possible way to support the roof,” says Anton of the raw steel rafter ties in the newly vaulted living room. It’s a detail they’d first used in their ADU several years before.
“We were a good match for Annie and Daniel because we were game for unconventional ideas. We’d share materials and details we liked, and then they’d show us even more exciting options,
The breakfast nook off of the kitchen features rounded, built-in seating. T
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.
The original stone feature wall is made of solid stone rather than veneer; Cameron repointed the stonework by hand. He found the wood-burning stove on Facebook Marketplace and repainted it. The chair is by Jardan Furniture.
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.
The newly renovated kitchen presents custom cabinetry, well-organized storage, top-of-line appliances, and vast countertop workspace.
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