Interior

In a family home in Mill Valley, California, Lauren Goldman of l’oro designs kept her clients’ goals of “modern yet accessible” in mind while also looking for opportunities to add functionality. This proved successful when she discovered that the empty space under the steel-and-glass stair landing was the perfect scale for children to sit and read under. The team was inspired to create a kid-sized library, turning a useless space into a perfectly cozy reading nook.

Duratherm windows paint the black brick wall of the staircase with sunlight.

A fireplace creates a cozy setting for the master bedroom, which offers 180-degree views of Los Angeles.

This shot of the Ravine House's interior shows its glazed back facade and clear geometry.

The large living and dining room features a dramatic central beam that slopes downward from the northeast corner of the home.

A long, narrow hallway runs along one of the two volumes. “The house is so relaxed. There’s a whole lot of bare feet and lemonade there,

A look at the moody office space, which is outfitted in handsome darker tones.

Sofa and rug are from Restoration Hardware.

Track and spotlights are fixtures that are attached to a track that is mounted to the ceiling or hung off the ceiling, depending on the fixture.

The guest bedroom in the main apartment can be either enclosed or opened up entirely thanks to an innovative joinery system.

Ten minutes from British Columbia’s prized Whistler and Blackcomb ski areas, this house is located on a small lot atop a hill. Embracing a vertical layout, the upper level is where the open living area, complete with sectional, wood-burning stove, marble island, and spacious dining table, is found. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the forest views are especially heady.

Reclaimed Douglas fir lines the 11-foot-tall ceilings, while stone-tiled floors with built-in radiant heating are located underfoot.

The partial basement holds storage and an entertainment room. A skylight over the stairs floods the area with natural light.

The firm specified a museum reveal around the windows, doors, and cabinetry, as well as over the flush baseboard. This keeps the scheme minimal and creates a “very simple tracery where you have a punctuation in the architecture, and then you reveal back to the soft white drywall walls,” says Klymson.

The Stovax freestanding wood fire in the living room is used to heat the home. The concrete floor provides thermal mass, which helps maintain thermal stability.