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Moveable walls of glass create a seamless blend of indoor-outdoor living.

Frameless bedroom windows extend beyond the floor and ceiling. "Since it's such a small house, it was really important to have this connection between the interior and exterior," says the couple.

The architects did not want "the operating theater" of can lights, so Ernesto designed a custom fixture consisting of a simple steel plate that disguises "cheap can lights," seen here in the upper hallway. "It looks like a $1,500 fixture, but it's like $300," he says.

The black door and window frames provide a contrast to the cedar siding.

California pepper trees, grasses, and sage are low-maintenance, low-water plants that also are low-allergen.

Along with the sage, citrus trees irrigated by gray water from the house provide the couple with lemons and limes for mixing drinks, among other things.

Design, Bitches turns a typical Atwater Village home into a lush hideaway with a new, cedar-clad guesthouse.

The 260-square-foot Hytte module features tall ceilings of up to nearly 12 feet. Multiple windows fill the interior with natural light and frame views of the outdoors.

Now, built-in sofas line the perimeter of the room and utilize the room’s shape better.

The Sanctuary floor plan

The home's overhangs provide shade. “We wanted to make sure the house was comfortable,” says Ikegami. “You have cross-ventilation, and the interior is filled with light from the clerestory.”

Derek Gray of Bay West Builders made the entry bench from wood earmarked for an unbuilt breakfast bar. Radiant-heated concrete floors offer a polished counterpoint to the board-formed walls outside.

Steps lead from the master bedroom balcony to a spacious deck. Situating the deck away from the house gives it the feel of a getaway, says Trainor, who worked on the project with colleague David LeRoy. “We liked the idea of going further into the garden amid plantings for privacy,” adds Trainor. Granite boulders and persimmon, Japanese maple, and oak trees lend what he calls “a California-Japanese feel.”