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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 Verve Sliding Top's matte lacquer cabinets are crowned with a statuario marble surface. These Minimal USA kitchens integrate appliances from Gaggenau, an industry leader for luxury equipment and the preferred choice of Michelin Star chefs.

The front of the home shows how the roof was lifted to maximize the views.

After being buried under layers of haphazard renovations, a 1959 Seattle ranch finally reaches its maximum potential.

“Durability drove the selection of metal panels,” Schaer says of the home’s industrial exterior. Manufactured by AEP SPAN from corrugated cladding, it looks like zinc but costs significantly less. It also contrasts nicely with the natural siding and trim. “All of the wood inside and out is Douglas Fir, the predominant wood species in the northwest,” Schaer explains.

For this kitchen, the architects paired slate-gray HPL (high-pressure laminate) cabinets by Henrybuilt, cool Basaltina countertops, with custom shelving and a white Corian backsplash.

The kitchen sits just off the living room area for easy entertaining. The roller shades are from J Geiger.

The new, stepped decks run the length of the house, visually and physically connecting both sides of the building.

"Around the time we were thinking of moving back [to San Francisco], I took a trip to Marfa, Texas, and fell in love with the agelessness of Donald Judd’s work," says Amy. "I liked the idea of having a classic American reference to the space, since we are influenced as much from America as we are by Asian culture."

Top designers give their advice about how to choose a stylish, functional faucet and what it will cost. Hint: it’s more than you may think.

Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the stunning, panoramic view.

On the other side of the Cor-Ten fireplace is the living room. The custom Augustin sectional and the cocktail table are from Christian Liaigre, and paired with Ib Kofod-Larsen's Seal chair and ottoman.