Top 5 Homes of the Week That Celebrate the Golden State

Featured homes were submitted by members of the Dwell community through our Add a Home feature. Add your home to Dwell.com/homes today.

1. The Meadow Home

Architect: Feldman Architecture, Location: Portola Valley, California

From the architect: "The home is at once open to the surrounding landscape and views of the encompassing prairie, seamlessly merging interior and exterior spaces. Splayed concrete walls, diminishing in height as they approach the house, direct the gaze to Windy Hill sitting on the western horizon. The house’s cedar siding, stained a warm gray and complimented by the crisp horizontal lines of the black roof, further embeds the house in its natural surroundings and strikes a beautiful balance between rural and distinctly modern aesthetics."

2. Mesa Contemporary

Architect: David Van Hoy, Builder: DD Ford Construction, Location: Santa Barbara, California

From the builder: "After a lifetime of photographing art in architecture, this discerning homeowner decided to design a piece of art that he could one day live in. After months in conceptual design and creative engineering, plans were finalized to recognize this client’s dream. Natural light and a simple yet diverse and elegant finish palate were at the heart of this home’s inspiration. Wonder, imagination and optical illusion are seen from afar, while precision, execution, and zero margin for error is recognized when looking at this home at a closer glance."

3. Mandeville Canyon House

Architect: Dutton Architects, Location: Los Angeles, California

From the architect: "A large addition and complete renovation of a Mandeville Canyon ranch house connects modern to contemporary architecture. The architecture is modern and sympathetic to the materials and context of its site and ranch-house style."

4. Milwood Residence

Architect: Mayes Office, Location: Los Angeles, California

From the architect: "Located in heart of the Venice neighborhood, [this residence is a] single family home created with the intention of connecting its occupants to each other and their surroundings. Communication and community outreach in Venice were of the utmost importance throughout the design process in order to achieve this. The home demonstrates how thoughtful, straightforward design and creative problem solving can not only create a positive impact on the daily lives of those who live within, but also on the surrounding community."

5. Sonoma Residence

Architect: zumaooh, Location: Sonoma, California

From the architect: "The owners of this property wanted a home where the parents and their children could gather and enjoy quintessential Sonoma living. The property is sited on 13 acres of meadowland running alongside a creek, and the parents wanted to encourage the children to explore the landscape, play, and hang out. The family-centered environment literally exists on the meadow, comprised of a house and a pool house with great rooms connected by the pool and the openness between. The connection is reinforced by the transparency of the living space, with extensive use of windows that create a seamless transition from inside to out, and also give the parents and children visual access throughout the day, creating boundary-less freedom and flexibility."

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