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Just beyond the fire pit is a turnkey guest house, complete with a kitchenette, bedroom, and bath.

The home consists of three cottage-inspired forms that are connected by a more contemporary, flat-roofed central structure. “One of the main challenges was how to bring the competing aesthetics the clients desired—they sought a simple, historical vernacular architecture with a more contemporary aesthetic,” says architect Matthew Erickson.

The home is a study in how to receive light throughout the day—from sunrise to sunset. The master bedroom’s windows frame the sunrise and welcome in morning light.

In a Manhattan Beach home, homeowner Matt Jacobson and architect Michael Lee designed the long steel-and-Ipe bench surrounding a square, concrete outdoor fire pit, which suspends from the low concrete wall in their outdoor space. Dukes relaxes on a Willy Guhl Loop chair with her German Shepherd, Major.

A perfectly groomed backyard lawn with a paver patio.

The architect added a deck at the front of the house to extend the living room. "By keeping it uncovered, you’re allowed to encroach into the setback just a little bit," says Nwankpa Gillespie. "So, we were able to get quite a large porch. That was one way that allowed us to open up the doors to the front yard."

Terra House | Bernardes Arquitetura

The architect and owners were in sync on every aspect of the design, including the desire for shou sugi ban siding. “I had been interested in shou sugi ban for a long time,” Herrmann says. “These Japanese cypress boards have been charred, wire-brushed, stained, and oiled. We did a lot of testing to come up with the right dark grey color; it changes in the light.”

Master Ensuite with Skylight

Living Room with Fireplace, Raked Ceilings & Concrete Rendered Credenza

Berube's starting point was the continuous wall of black millwork clad in a solid matte surface by Fenix. "We decided on a dark palette to work with the exterior,