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The architects used metal accents like slender dark steel window frames, brass lighting, and colorful outdoor furniture to create a contrast with the new and pre-existing.

In one room, that meant leaving the stone exposed as the floor.

Outside the entrance is an impressive hoja santa, or Mexican pepperleaf, plant. “We weren’t sure it would like the shade, but it has become this incredible thing,” says designer Kevin Alter.

“We listened carefully to the house, and tried to do what it needed,” Carisa says.

"In the guest bedroom, it really feels like you're on a boat. It's like you're part of nature,

Custom cherry millwork was also used for closed storage in the bedroom, which is now connected to the bathroom.

After: Solid walnut cabinetry sits comfortably beside the home’s original matai floors, reconnecting the kitchen to the house’s 1940s character.

Several of the upper cabinets are fronted with stained glass panels bearing a floral motif inspired by the kōwhai tree.

“The houses are built around the rocks,” says Las Rocas Casa B homeowner Santiago Ortiz Monasterio. “We love it. He adjusted to what was there and we tried to preserve it as much as we could.”

At the open kitchen, solid birch plywood cabinetry and wall panelling add some tones and subtle patterns; the material is also evocative of the mid-modern century era.

Wang and the owners were meticulous about the cabinetry. They hand-selected each piece of the oak veneer to line up perfectly across each front.

The custom millwork, fabricated by Loubier Design, was meant to celebrate the movement of the natural grain.

The design team “poked fun” at the homeowner for her unusual request, but they’ve since recommended bathroom refrigerators to other clients.

The roofs were designed to guide water to the steel channels, which run the entire width of the house. Joan’s painting studio sits nears the back door, where she can easily step out for fresh air or inspiration.