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Making the decision to buy a home is never easy; it’s hard to know what life will look like five or ten years down the line. But on the bright side, buying a home is exciting. The responsibility can be invigorating.
Making the decision to buy a home is never easy; it’s hard to know what life will look like five or ten years down the line. But on the bright side, buying a home is exciting. The responsibility can be invigorating.
The home is typical of the Santa Fe style, with an earthy palette and organic form that blends into the surrounding landscape.
The home is typical of the Santa Fe style, with an earthy palette and organic form that blends into the surrounding landscape.
Solar panels facing the sunniest part of the home help heat its water and charge its electricity.
Solar panels facing the sunniest part of the home help heat its water and charge its electricity.
Designed by John Howe, the 7,000-square-foot New Canaan residence comes with custom built-ins and stained glass skylights.
Designed by John Howe, the 7,000-square-foot New Canaan residence comes with custom built-ins and stained glass skylights.
Blue Sky Building Systems worked with CB Architecture to create a modern home for a family of four in Orinda, California.
Blue Sky Building Systems worked with CB Architecture to create a modern home for a family of four in Orinda, California.
Ernesto designed the villa’s kitchen more “for every day,” he says, but the one added to the courtyard has a professional range and parrilla to accommodate groups. “I don’t need super-fancy equipment,” Ernesto says. He and Yektajo designed the bar stools.
Ernesto designed the villa’s kitchen more “for every day,” he says, but the one added to the courtyard has a professional range and parrilla to accommodate groups. “I don’t need super-fancy equipment,” Ernesto says. He and Yektajo designed the bar stools.
The tower has a sunken ground-floor suite, which allows for a higher ceiling and helps it stay cool, as does the window facing the pool. “The wind passes over it and brings in fresh air,” Yektajo says. “This is how pools are built in the Middle East.”
The tower has a sunken ground-floor suite, which allows for a higher ceiling and helps it stay cool, as does the window facing the pool. “The wind passes over it and brings in fresh air,” Yektajo says. “This is how pools are built in the Middle East.”
The third-level bar and kitchenette have four openings with wood coverings that slide away. The space is perfect for “wine and ceviche—for enjoying the sunset,” says Ernesto. The table, designed by Ellen, nests into concrete banquette seating. To connect the bar with the top-level viewing deck, Yektajo inserted a spiral staircase with a compact footprint to preserve the views.
The third-level bar and kitchenette have four openings with wood coverings that slide away. The space is perfect for “wine and ceviche—for enjoying the sunset,” says Ernesto. The table, designed by Ellen, nests into concrete banquette seating. To connect the bar with the top-level viewing deck, Yektajo inserted a spiral staircase with a compact footprint to preserve the views.
The tower was limited to nine meters in height (because it’s sunken, it rises to about eight and a half), but the construction style emphasizes its stature. “We did the board-forming top to bottom to give it a sense of verticality,” Yektajo says. “It makes the tower seem way taller.” The concrete’s rough texture and brown pigment complement the adjacent brick building, now a lounge.
The tower was limited to nine meters in height (because it’s sunken, it rises to about eight and a half), but the construction style emphasizes its stature. “We did the board-forming top to bottom to give it a sense of verticality,” Yektajo says. “It makes the tower seem way taller.” The concrete’s rough texture and brown pigment complement the adjacent brick building, now a lounge.
“This is where we had a little fun with the carpentry work,” says Yektajo, referring to the slatted-wood inserts covering the openings in the villa’s primary suite, as well as ones in the guest suite and loft. “You can’t add more windows in the facade of historic buildings, so that was the only way to get ventilation,” he adds. Ellen designed the bed frames with built-in nightstands for every room.
“This is where we had a little fun with the carpentry work,” says Yektajo, referring to the slatted-wood inserts covering the openings in the villa’s primary suite, as well as ones in the guest suite and loft. “You can’t add more windows in the facade of historic buildings, so that was the only way to get ventilation,” he adds. Ellen designed the bed frames with built-in nightstands for every room.
Although strikingly different from its traditional farmhouse exterior, the interiors reference the outer appearance with an exposed solid granite wall in the living room and exposed roof trusses with black plated junctions that recall the artisanal joinery and construction techniques found in traditional Japanese homes.
Although strikingly different from its traditional farmhouse exterior, the interiors reference the outer appearance with an exposed solid granite wall in the living room and exposed roof trusses with black plated junctions that recall the artisanal joinery and construction techniques found in traditional Japanese homes.