BarW @ Grand Inspo

The great room includes oak floors as well as birch cabinetry and wall panels, all treated with a whitening wash to help spread natural light.

A view from just behind the top of the stairs (at left), giving way to the dining-room table

The rock outcropping in the backyard of this house in Victoria, British Columbia influenced the design scheme of the home's addition. To visually integrate the form, architect Bruce Greenway took shorn-off pieces of rock and constructed a curving wall that extends into the house.

The couple requested low-maintenance materials. Says Carol, “We don’t want to paint on weekends—we want to enjoy the place.” - Tehachapi Mountains, California Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

High ceilings and clerestory windows fill the public rooms with light. - Tehachapi Mountains, California Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

Working with owner Bruce Shafer, who acted as contractor, architect Olson Kundig’s “gizmolo- gist” Phil Turner fashioned a 12-by- 26-foot steel-framed window wall that opens the structure to the out- doors. “We can feel the evening breeze move through the house, - Tehachapi Mountains, California Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

- Tehachapi Mountains, California Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

In the main bath, a wall of Heath Ceramics tile joins a terrazzo floor from Ann Sacks.

The exposed rafters were carried into the exterior areas, including the covered patio.

The half-wall that divides the living room and dining room is walnut, and was a clever way to separate the living and dining zones, and wrap the structural posts, which were painted a dark grey. There’s a television lift inside the cabinet that allows the TV to be stowed when not in use. The couch is from Design Within Reach, and the flooring throughout is white oak.

The inoperable picture windows were replaced with large sliding glass doors that open to the new seating patio.

A mature Japanese maple was preserved during construction. The way we designed the entry sequence, with the front door not facing the street, but rather facing the Japanese maple tree relates to his concept of ‘entrance transition.’ A mature Japanese maple tree was preserved during the construction.

Two black CH25 chairs by Hans Wegner mirror the baby grand piano behind them.

Honest materials appear throughout this Los Altos home. In the double-height living area, Mantis chairs by BassamFellows surround a custom live-edge dining table, fashioned from an old Claro walnut tree with help from Menlo Hardwoods.

Mid-century, floating entry stairs