Ridge Residence

Wood siding of the exterior wraps into the house at the south end of the kitchen concealing a pantry and panel-ready column, Fisher&Paykel refrigerator and freezer as well as a coffee bar. An assemblage of textures and raw materials including a dark-hued, minimalist layout for the kitchen opens to living room with panoramic views of the canyon to the left and the street on the right. We dropped the kitchen ceiling to be lower than the living room by 24 inches. There is a roof garden of meadow grasses and agave above the kitchen which thermally insulates cooling the kitchen space. Soapstone counter top, backsplash and shelf/window sill, Brizo faucet with Farrow & Ball "Pitch Black" painted cabinets complete the edges. The smooth stucco of the exterior walls and roof overhang wraps inside to the ceiling passing the wide screen windows facing the street.An American black walnut island with Fyrn counter stools separate the kitchen and living room over a floor of black, irregular-shaped flagstone. Delta Light fixtures were used throughout for their discreet beauty yet highly functional settings.

Pink pop in the golden radiance of the brass bathroom - a mixture of unfinished sheet brass, flagstone flooring, chrome plumbing fixtures and tree stump makes for a shower glow like no other

Street view with flush garage door clad in charcoal-stained reclaimed wood. A cantilevered wood screen creates a private entrance by passing underneath the offset vertical aligned western red cedar timbers of the brise-soleil. The offset wood screen creates a path between the exterior walls of the house and the exterior planters (see next photo) which leads to a quiet pond at the top of the low-rise concrete steps and eventually the entry door to the residence: A vertical courtyard / garden buffer. The wood screen creates privacy from the interior to the street while also softening the strong, afternoon direct natural light to the entry, kitchen, living room, bathroom and study.

Blur the threshold: The living room extends to the exterior patio as the exterior materials become the interior materials

Water garden at top of steps outside of the entrance door to the residence (to the left). A bubbler in the pond dulls the street noise inside. The water garden - with papyrus, duck weed, water lillies, snails and small fish - sits atop of the concrete steps and is part of a private entrance created by western red cedar and black steel skeleton of of the brise-soleil wood screen.

The living room contains a 10,000 record collection on an engineered, bespoke steel shelving system anchored to the wall and foundation. A dining table is placed near the threshold of the pocketing aluminum framed sliding glass doors. The white oak ceiling extends from the living room to the exterior roof overhang as the flagstone flooring passes the door threshold as well. The ridge top canyon landscape slowly grows into the living space as a hand hewn wood column holds the ceiling. An oculus gives a peek to the garden roof above from below.

Tub with an uninterrupted private view via the pocketing window as you hover above Fossil Ridge. Or step into the Calacatta Viola-clad wet room shower with a vertical slot window framing the San Fernando Valley floor below.

The local wildlife's watering hole! The roof overhang with a white oak lid extends from the living room to the exterior as the flagstone flooring continues to the outside as well. An oculus gives a peek to the garden roof from below. A brass scupper stretches to throw excess irrigation water of the above roof garden to a circular, steel catch basin that rises above the no-mow fescue grass of the hillside. Concrete steps lead to the garage at the lower level. The glory of the canyon and Fossil Ridge Park is seen beyond.

Mirror + window magic: Floating vanity with wall to wall mirror under clerestory window frames the San Fernando Valley floor beyond.

Record shelves lead to a gallery hallway with a slot skylight running length of the space. A hanging container garden of Pothos, Philodendrons and other indoor plants benefit from the natural light. A laundry room sits behind the rolling barn door clad in black burlap.

Early to rise…

An assemblage of textures and raw materials, the great room spaces are distinguished by two unique ceiling heights: A dark-hued, minimalist layout for the kitchen opens to living room with panoramic views of the canyon to the left and the street on the right. We dropped the kitchen ceiling to be lower than the living room by 24 inches. There is a roof garden of meadow grasses and agave above the kitchen which thermally insulates cooling the kitchen space. Wood siding of the exterior wraps into the house at the south end of the kitchen concealing a pantry and panel-ready column, FIsher&Paykel refrigerator and freezer as well as a coffee bar. Soapstone counter top, backsplash and shelf/window sill, Brizo faucet with Farrow & Ball "Pitch Black" painted cabinets complete the edges. The smooth stucco of the exterior walls and roof overhang wraps inside to the ceiling passing the wide screen windows facing the street. An American black walnut island with seating also separates the kitchen and living room - all sitting on the black, irregular-shaped flagstone floors which circuit throughout the entire first floor. Walnut stair treads and handrail beyond with a solid white oak ceiling for a warm balance to the dark floors. Delta Light fixtures were used throughout for their discreet beauty yet highly functional settings.

For the primary bedroom, widescreen glass walls frame the valley, mountains, ridge tops and trees beyond. Privacy expressed in an updated mid-century modern design language. Stucco walls from the exterior extend inside. Planted garden roof insulates the living room below. Clerestory windows complete the pavilion feel.

An American black walnut island with Fyrn counter stools separate the kitchen and living room over a black, irregular-shaped flagstone floor. An assemblage of textures and raw materials, the dark-hued, minimalist layout for the kitchen opens to living room with panoramic views of the canyon (behind the viewer). We dropped the kitchen ceiling to be lower than the living room by 24 inches. There is a roof garden of meadow grasses and agave above the kitchen which thermally insulate cooling the kitchen space. Wood siding of the exterior wraps into the house at the south end of the kitchen concealing a pantry and panel-ready column, FIsher&Paykel refrigerator and freezer as well as a coffee bar. Soapstone counter top, backsplash and shelf/window sill, Brizo faucet with Farrow & Ball "Pitch Black" painted cabinets complete the edges. The smooth stucco of the exterior walls and roof overhang wraps inside to the ceiling passing the wide screen windows facing the street. Fisher&Paykel wall oven over a steam oven at right. Delta Light fixtures were used throughout for their discreet beauty yet highly functional settings.

Stair at dawn: Floating black walnut stair treads cantilever from the seeded stucco wall. A living guardrail of hanging Monstera vines breaks the white oak ceiling plane from the steel guardrail above. A stone slab bench by the architects with a C. Jere "Sandpipers" metal wall sculpture hanging above it sits under the stair.

Antique cast iron sink is retrofitted, re-glazed then wall hung. Combined with a simple black Daltile in an open wet room shower with brass sconces from Anthropologie

Sleep in the tree canopy. Simple, built-in wood shelves hold a compact disc collection that in turn becomes a colorful texture

Top of stairs: A custom cold rolled steel guardrail that also acts as hanging garden planter with integral french drain system within. To the right there is a built-in window seat that overlooks the mountains and valley beyond. This passage leads the primary suite.

From the backyard's lower level, rectangular forms extend towards the view with a glass cube at the upper floor. The roof overhang with a white oak lid extends from the living room to the exterior. An oculus gives a peek to the garden roof from below. A brass scupper stretches to throw excess irrigation water of the above roof garden to a circular, steel catch basin that rises above the no-mow fescue grass of the hillside. Concrete steps lead to the garage of the lower level. An understanding of this street's ridgetop shape is partially understood from this view: The ridge slowly falls to the North (San Fernando Valley behind the viewer).