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Fields of native grasses connect the main residence, situated at the top of the slope, to the new structures scattered below. A pergola extends from the post-and-beam structure that was maintained during the remodel of the midcentury home.

"The owner wanted the front door to match the same yellow of Caterpillar, the heavy machinery company,

This 2,520-square-foot home in Los Angeles is a vibrant residence for a production designer and an artist.

As an artist & engineer that explores the beauty of natural objects and scenes, the homeowner tasked us with creating a building that was not precious - one that explores the essence of its raw building materials and is not afraid of expressing them as finished. We designed in opportunities for kinetic fixtures, many built by her, to allow flexibility and movement. The result is a building that compliments the casual artistic lifestyle of the occupant as part home, part work space, part gallery. The spaces are intended to be interactive, contemplative, and fun.

Raw, common timber materials were used in rhythm to create a warm and casual canvas for the sunken and double height living space in our Not Precious house.

Bathed in Light To help disperse light in the newly opened-up interior, the designers clad the roof over the guest bathroom with Danpalon, a translucent polycarbonate that brings in lots of softened natural light. The walls and door are frosted glass. Says Kyprianou: “You can’t see much through the glass—just silhouettes—so our guests don’t mind!” danpalon.com.au Hung Up With the budget running out toward the end of the project, Kyprianou wanted to avoid forking out for a custom-designed walk-in closet in the master bedroom. So he conceived of a simple and cheap storage solution: drilling holes through the wooden roof trusses and feeding inexpensive aluminum closet rods through. junolightinggroup.com

Those in Glass Houses… …Should consider sustainability! Brammy and Kyprianou wanted the house to be as open and light as possible, but large expanses of regular glass can result in excessive winter heat loss and summer heat gain—and they couldn’t afford two stories of double-glazing. So they opted for Viridian ComfortPlus glass, which is coated with an insulated film that is energy-efficient, reduces sound, and filters UV radiation. viridianglass.com Bladder Control On such a small site there wasn’t much room left for a rainwater tank, which the couple wanted in order to reduce their water consumption (Australia has strict regulations due to drought). The solution is a clever PVC “water bladder” from Eco Sac concealed under the deck, which holds 3,000 liters of water collected from the roof and used to flush the home’s toilets and run the washing machine. ecoplanit.com.au, waterplex.com.au

Space upstairs was tight but Money managed to fit in an ensuite with a small wall-mounted sink and another sensor-operated sky light.