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A local artist created this large-scale mural beneath a mature tree. The children of the home have commandeered this space with its climbing wall, tree ropes and hanging swing and chair.

A private courtyard sits behind the primary bathroom and is accessed from the yard through a meandering path within the Japanese-inspired landscape.

In their concrete-walled courtyard, Yuka and Aaron watch as twins Emerson and Jasper, daughters Maude and Mirene, and Alfie the dog play. The house is painted in Black Bean Soup by Benjamin Moore, a color in keeping with the period of the original architecture. The garden was designed by Lauren Hall-Behrens of Lilyvilla Gardens.

In Marin County, just north of San Francisco, the Woerner House is a dynamic theater of light and views.

The Monokuro House blends minimalist, Japanese-inspired architecture with indoor/outdoor California living.

Golden hour on the serene rooftop offers some of the city's finest views out onto the harbour below and far beyond.

A small terrace outfitted with an H55 easy chair by Björn Hultén offers a view of the San Francisco Bay.

Near the house, Cooper clustered lush, big-leafed plants philodendron, purple heart, and flowering canna. Farther out, vegetable gardens sprout in raised beds, and thyme and mint thrive beneath citrus trees. Native California silver wild rye and matilija poppies bind the slope, bordering the low “snake wall” that winds around the yard, narrowly ducking beneath a big ficus tree with just enough clearance for a sprinting kid. Wide stadium steps connect the garden levels, turning the steep hillside into amphitheater seating.

Laurelhurst Hillside Garden

Laurelhurst Hillside Garden

Laurelhurst Hillside Garden

The screen is coated with a clear finish by Penofin Red Label. The steel rail and cables are by Feeney and the deck is by Bison Innovative Products. The windows and doors are from Loewen.

A courtyard creates visual separation between the main house and the addition.

Outer Space Landscape Architects refreshed the courtyard with new hardscaping.

The 5,200-square-foot retreat is designed to look like a cluster of old barns upon first glance.

This 3,200-square-foot structure was assembled with a prefabricated foundation, concrete panel siding, and efficient built-ins, minimizing construction debris and toxins—such as concrete foundation tar—on the site.

A pathway winds between a pair of Japanese maples and a myrtle tree that dates to the home’s original construction. The floor-to-ceiling windows and sliders are by Fleetwood.