814 Studio Remodel

A family added two larger structures and two gardens—one outdoors, and another enclosed with glass looking out onto the forest.

Two Swiss designers breathe new life into retired gondolas by turning them into sleek, customizable saunas. The interiors are gutted, and the exteriors receive a brand-new paint job—in any color of your choice.

Built-in millwork with integrated lighting add extra storage.

The renovated home retains the existing charm of original, but has been sensitively updated for contemporary living. The front of the home remains largely the same, while the rear—which contains the living, kitchen and dining areas, alongside a separate studio, has been rebuilt in a striking, modern style. The new white brick wall that runs around the property is lower at the front to encourage interaction with the street and neighbours.

Floor Plan of Tera Haus by Mapa Architects

The house, seen from above, is meant to tread lightly on the land, acting as an immersive yet quiet reatreat.

One continuous hallway goes across the house, from carport to great room to bedrooms. It allows the house to be expanded with an identically-designed twin, simply extending the hallway.

The kitchen island is topped with an extra-thick slab of Caesarstone, giving it a sculptural presence.

Francesca chose an array of native plants for outside the pool, as well as a pair of custom lounges.

The outdoor pool reflects light from the setting sun into the house's great room.

The house's simple white stucco exterior is paired with ribbed natural wood siding, adding variation and shadows.

One continuous hallway goes across the house, from carport to great room to bedrooms. It allows the house to be expanded with an identically-designed twin, simply extending the hallway.

The interiors, by Francesca's Interlude Studio, feature simple maple cabinetry and concrete floors.

The house was conceived as a kind of umbrella, providing shelter for a series of bedrooms and the great room below, as well as an adjacent carport that doubles as covered outdoor space.

Homeowner Francesca Laranga chose this five-acre desert site, about seven minutes outside Yucca Valley, California, after seeing it once.