Favorites

The steel bridge—which echoes the design language of the steel brise soleil—extends from the second-floor study into the rear garden.

Aidlin Darling Design recasts an unremarkable midcentury home as a multigenerational retreat crowned by a living roof.

The deep brise soleil shades the interior as well and offers privacy from neighboring buildings without compromising the views.

The second floor is where all three generations come together to eat, play, work, and gather around the fireplace.

The two monolithic walls on the north and south sides are integrally colored, steel-troweled plaster. They anchor the home in its site as well as provide privacy from neighboring homes.

There is now continuous, stepped landscaping from one home to the next as the buildings and street rise up the hillside.

The spacious, covered deck is ready for anything. “From snowstorms to eclipse, we can play here,” says Adair. It’s turned into a big gathering space for their community; sometimes the family hosts film screenings en plein air.

This little nook beneath the Sky Room features a dreamy cloud mural: a snapshot of the sky painted pink and made into a custom wallpaper.

Getting the hammock installed posed a bit of a challenge. Adair and Kopp found it tough to find a company to help with executing their idea. “It’s interesting to know that if you want to do something with a little bit of risk, it really takes some convincing,” says Adair. With the help of a U.S.-based company that dealt with large-scale net facilities, they got a group together and lashed the whole perimeter to create a safe, sturdy, supportive weaving.

Adair has long wished for Togo chairs, but as much as she loves the design, she tries not to be too precious about it. “We let the kids use them how they want, and they’re perfect fort furniture,” she says. “They’re really durable. It’s a design that makes architect parents happy.”

A swing hangs from one of the home’s original beams. “It was a gift from friends in New York,” says Onur. “The girls spend hours on it.”

Concrete and travertine slabs were installed on the exterior, alongside an ipe deck with mahogany railings.

Perched below the Griffith Observatory and overlooking Hollywood is a lush lot crowned with four towering olive trees and a 1965 home designed by modernist architect Craig Ellwood. When a young couple purchased the home in 2018, it needed substantial work. For a historic restoration, they called on Woods + Dangaran, a local firm fluent in modernist history. The team completed a meticulous restoration of the home while keeping original components like the linear shape, open plan, and expansive windows. One of the most striking features is the original koi pond (a feature deemed so essential that its preservation was a condition of escrow) that is now crossed via a bridge that leads to a new lap pool—perhaps the biggest intervention on the property.

The kitchen anchors the home as the central hub — cementing its importance in the family’s life. With light streaming in from the skylight above, a circular island includes recessed Bocci outlets at the perimeter to power dedicated workstations for Meera’s baking classes. “I love the kitchen. It’s probably my favorite spot,” she says. “Baking brings me joy.”