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The shower is covered in tadelakt in "Wabi

A custom white oak cabinet is topped with Grigio Versilla Marble. The floors are terrazzo by Cle Tile, and the sconce is Allied Maker.

The designers placed a Crofthouse LA mirror beside a bureau from 1st Dibs.

The designers installed a streamlined bar where there used to be dead space.

The connection to nature is found throughout the home, with the architects taking every opportunity to connect to outdoor spaces that feel removed from the urban context. The bathrooms, for example, feature ample skylights and look onto planted courtyards.

“The first morning we stayed at home, I went downstairs to make my morning coffee,” recalls Antonio. “Only this time, I made it in the coffee maker built into the kitchen countertop overlooking the back garden, while beams of sunlight seeped into the room. It is a place so different from the single room apartment we started our journey from so many years ago—it was definitely better.”

The ground floor of the home features wide spaces that open out to greenery. “You don’t need walls everywhere to make the house feel big,” explains Eduardo Ugalde from All Arquitectura. “By creating a large garden on the site that is open to the sky, you create a feeling of spaciousness.”

The ground floor living spaces feature large windows with sheer curtains. “In the afternoon, you get this golden hour,” says architect Alexander Saved. “The light is awesome—you almost feel like you are in California with the warm light filtering through the curtains.”

Antonio and Estela have been together since they were teenagers and today have two teenage children, a son and daughter. The couple built a business together and lived in rented accommodation but always dreamed of having their own home. As their company became increasingly successful, they had the opportunity to not just buy but create their dream home. Interestingly, for a home that values privacy, the front garden is conceived as a semi-public space.

The steel structure is suspended two feet above the roof of the existing bungalow, supported by four steel columns, one of which screens utility lines running from the Perch to the house below.

The Perch at sunset.

The large new bathroom includes a shower for two and continuous tile floors.

Floor Plan of Sky Ranch House by Rain City Architecture

Though the house was expanded in back to make room for a new bedroom and extended living room, there was still plenty of room for a patio and terraced outdoor space.

A special finish brings out the grain in the kitchen's walnut cabinetry.

The home's centerpiece is its ridge-beam skylight, which extends over the living room and expanded kitchen.

With the new doors and cleared exterior area, the guest house connects better to the main backyard area and pool.

A Roman Clay covered accent wall behind the bed maintains the understated texture Rossi instilled throughout the home, and the new salvaged doors open to the front patio.

Floor Plan of Camp Altezza by Amy Pigliacampo