Separators

The banquette is a blue high-performance velvet by Maharam.

Automatic roller sun shades and custom blackout curtains provide privacy. “They’re on a timer,” Shively says, “so throughout the day they move and adjust to the sun.” A chair by Le Corbusier, dresser by George Nelson, and vintage side tables outfit the space. “If the house is going to be so architectural, everything in it needs to be special. I have a lot of vintage things,” Shivley says.

A first-floor seating area gets some drama thanks to a mesh net fastened overhead, which creates a spot for playful lounging without compromising the overhead daylighting.

A concrete block wall (above) separates the entry from the living area, where an Arne Norell Kontiki easy chair joins an Eames lounge chair.

The project’s signature material was discovered on a trip to a recycled brick yard, where Welsch and the homeowners found light, cream-colored bricks and fell in love. "It was a decision made on the spot," explains Welsch. The original plan was to find darker materials that would make the home feel more cozy and cave-like, but the way these bricks reflected the sunlight was just irresistible. "You don’t necessarily expect that soft light feeling from a material like brick."

Clerestory windows pierce the pitched roof on its west side, making the living area, with its custom curved sectional sofa and built-in end tables, full of natural light year-round.

A swooping Kagan sofa found locally sits with a curving screen from MOLO Designs and a Jonathan Adler cabinet.

Prince enjoys the house’s “Easter eggs,” as he calls them—the way the dusky pink grout used throughout matches the home’s rear facade screen.

There are nearly 3,000 glass bricks in the walls running through the lower floor and upper level, where the bedroom is located.

There are nearly 3,000 glass bricks in the walls running through the lower floor and upper level, where the bedroom is located.

Vertical black-and-white stripes on the pantry doors help disguise how slim the house is, even at its tightest.

Inside, the narrow footprint presented design challenges, but glass-brick walls and white tile floors keep the interiors bright and sunny.

"I wanted to see what it felt like to use the very best materials on this small, originally very modest house,

The Partition Wall is more than just a decorative divider, it holds knife storage and the team later developed a flexible system of shelves and tool fittings to fit it.

A porthole in Ahmed Belkhodja’s kitchen opens into the main space.

By showcasing the original ceiling, Howorko brought close to 100 feet of new space to the studio.