Design Guides

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."