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Pacific Coast architect Paul Kirk initially embraced the International Style but went on to forge his own version of regional modernism, using natural materials and a more contextual approach to site and setting. The Dowell Residence in Seattle displays a sensitive approach to its site and a sophisticated use of materials as well as spatial dexterity. The house largely turns its back on the street but opens up dramatically to the gardens to one side, taking advantage of the shifting topography to slot in a lower level that connects with the outdoors.

The Thunderbird Heights house is set on a plateau above Coachella Valley and backs up to the Santa Rosa mountains to the south and west. The home, originally built in the 1960s and later renovated in the 1980s, was given a fresh, midcentury-inspired revamp by Stuart Silk Architects.

Project designer Wayne Chevalier kept automobile elegance in mind as he remodeled the Malibu Crest residence. Here, he exits a Genesis GV80 parked in front of the garage. Preproduction model with optional features shown.

Natural light and great views are an added bonus to this cozy bedroom.

Studio Bracket Architects amplified the home’s International Style by adding more glass paneling, extending the flat room, and refining the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.

The bouquet canyon stone pays tribute to the midcentury-modern era when the home was built.

The sophisticated landscape of greenery and water elements add to the escapist nature of the home.

Landscape designer Bernard Trainor’s creative use of poured-in-place concrete pavers—such as off the living room, where they break up a low-maintenance lawn of June grass—give the irregularly shaped lot a sense of order. Foxtail ferns and blue chalk sticks, a succulent, lend dashes of color to the entry courtyard, while thyme makes for a fragrant accent between the pavers.

Usha and Mike Kreaden had a virtually blank slate when it came to the garden outside the 1958 Joseph Eichler house that they bought in Silicon Valley two decades ago.

In the master bathroom, they installed bamboo cabinetry from Plyboo, a San Francisco-based company that thrashes and presses bamboo into dense logs that are then sliced and fabricated into the surface of your choice.

Perched high above Oakland, this expanded midcentury soaks up jaw-dropping views—even from the bathroom.

great room

At dusk, the light-colored home glows like a lantern in the desert sky.

Astounding views of palm trees and the surrounding Palm Springs landscape are provided from 360-degree exterior views.

Working with a sumptuous material palette, Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects designed a sprawling new residence in Palo Alto for Mark and Laura Pine. The teak wood and handmade Danish bricks that define the exterior are used inside as well; distressed stainless steel panels by Chris French Metal sheathe one side of the upper volume. Blasen Landscape Architecture chose Peruvian feather grass to flank the entrance walkway.

A custom white oak counter supports a Duravit Vero Vanity undermount sink with a Graff M.E. single handle faucet in matte black mounted at the custom mirror. The wallpaper is Thibaut “Imperial Dragon” in Turquoise.

Ann Sacks Terrazzo Renata tile covers the primary bath, with a vanity composed of Polaris cabinets by Abet Laminati in Noir Pol 2902, and a Corian “Glacier White” counter and backsplash.