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In Sunnyvale, California, architect Ryan Leidner cracked open a 1962 Eichler with a crisp remodel flush with foliage. He replaced the home’s vertical plywood facade with one-inch strips of American red cedar set at two depths. The rhythmic slats conceal a garage door that swings open on a hidden hinge. At the entryway, two massive panes of frosted glass shimmer with light and shadow from the atrium inside. Homeowners Isabelle Olsson and Matthaeus Krenn stand out front.

"While we did include curtains in the initial sketches, the client proceeded without them," says Pons. "He does have neighbors nearby, but because the vegetation is so dense and lush, it not only provides shade and a cooling effect, but also acts as a natural barrier."

Atelier Branco built 3,229 square feet of shelving units to house all of the client's texts, documents, and books.

The main entry flows into the living room, which now accesses the outdoor terrace via the door to the left.

“The bones of the original stair are in there,” says McGuier. “We just sawed off the bottom half, put a new straight portion of stair onto the spiral stair, then covered the whole thing in sheet metal and painted it.” Vintage slipper chairs in mohair sit on either side of a vintage Art Deco parchment table.

The design team subtly sculpted the wall around the top of the staircase. A CB2 Azalea Gray Mink chair sits in the hall.