The clients and design team chose to forego an open floor plan in favor of defined, separated spaces. In this scheme, the vertically oriented spaces act as a cinematic "hard-cut" to their horizontal counterparts. The custom hot rolled steel kitchen, one of these vertical transition spaces, receives light from above through a Velux skylight. A GE Profile Induction cooktop and oven and Miele refrigerator complete the space.

At the entry looking upward towards a Velux skylight, a vertical "sleeve" is made of stacked end grain plywood. The theme of vertical and horizontal architectural elements providing different environmental perspectives carries through to the rest of the home. Horizontal forms look out to the lake, while the vertical columns look up the sky.

Part of the master suite, the bright bathroom embraces texture and pattern. The space clad in bold, graphic tile and features a custom steel vanity.

On the opposite side of the abstract front elevation, the home opens up and presents an entirely different viewing experience. “Like a flower leaning [towards the] sunlight, the architectural volumes pull and open up towards the views of the lake,” says Miller. A stacked timber retaining wall serves both structural and aesthetic functions; in addition to holding back the earth the home has been buried into, it visually defines the its perimeter.

As the home is approached from the street, the white aluminum facade projects out from the earth in an abstract composition of forms and volumes. There are no doors or windows at the entrance from the road, a calculated decision by the design team to avoid a structure that would read as manmade against the natural landscape. “We wanted it to feel ‘non-architectural’ in a way so that the natural view of the lake was not walled off by a privatized notion of someone’s home,” says Miller.

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Soheil steps into the music and screening room, which is concealed behind a masonry-veneered door. “We were able to hide a lot of the square footage below the main level, but not in a way that would hurt the design,” he says.

The home’s reflection is seen in the lake at dusk. The white aluminum sleeves dramatically break through the timber, creating visual portals to the surrounding scenery.

A small dining room occupies the space just beyond the living room. It’s furnished with vintage folding chairs designed by Danish architect Mogens Koch that are easily stored for more space.

The reused doors serve as more than floor, walls, and ceiling; several are still functional. In the dining room, the benches lift up for storage, and doors on either side of the banquette open to reveal closets.

Cubic bookshelves do double duty as a dividing wall and as a sliding door opening up to a hidden bath.

Fontanez solved LOT-EK’s conundrum of how to situate the bed against the center wall while still maintaining closet access by suggesting an automated dry-cleaning rack in the narrow closet. He and Russell access the closet from opposite ends. “We just have to make sure we don’t spin it at the same time,” Fontanez says. Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!

A well-lit and open ground floor with a strong interior-exterior connection was at the top of the family’s wish list. The kitchen makes the most of a compact space through its intimate relationship with the adjacent pool and public outdoor space. The spaces features hardware-free white cabinets and a stainless steel center island. The white kitchen floors provide visual continuity with the white pavement directly outside.

The second floor master bedroom opens up to a wraparound deck. Its relationship to the lake is the owners’ favorite part of the home. Warm wood floors and Schoolhouse Electric lights finish the space.

Along the side of the home, parallel to the pool, is an expansive glass wall that maximizes the feeling of openness in the first floor living space. The pool is heated by a repeated energy air-conditioning system, which conserves energy expenditure.

Windows by Berkshire plate glass offer unobstructed views of the lake from the sunroom. Inside, a chain found by the owners accents the light-filled space.

Miller explains, “Every material and spatial decision we make in one space affects the entire home,” a design philosophy warmly embraced by the owners.

Because the residents wanted lighting “to fade away,” the home makes the most of natural light and minimizes fixtures. Each room has two sources of daylight, usually in the form of floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights. Fluorescent lights integrate into the surface of the skylights so they don’t protrude into the space.

The sleek master bathroom features a freestanding tub, black mosaic tiles on the floor, and black natural stone on the walls. A natural oak vanity and oak accents add warmth to the otherwise cool and contemporary space, and a glass wall on the opposite side creates a sense of connection with the master bedroom.

The home’s facade is private and mysterious, without discernable windows or openings. The exterior is made of concrete tiles, black plaster, and wooden trellises. The trellises act as a light screen, allowing only cracks of light to penetrate the exterior. The entry is camouflaged in the plane of the trellises, which adds to the opaque and impenetrable aesthetic at the front facade.

Even the laundry hampers, above, are discreetly stowed out of sight.

Inside, the home immediately opens up with light and natural views. The cantilevered stairs leading to the first floor offer a dramatic focal point. The stairs, wrapped in natural oak, are anchored to the exposed concrete walls on one side, and bordered by a clear glass railing on the opposite side.

Open a tidily tucked away pocket in the wall, and you'll find a screened aperture with louvers.

The smaller transitional areas of the home were more about pure form, space, and vertical light. These areas favored a material-heavy palette, in contrast with the horizontal spaces, which showcase a more neutral aesthetic. Beasley played an active role in deciding the materials and layout of the home. In the dining room, for example, the neutral space is a gallery-like backdrop for a few of the owners’ pieces.

The voluminous black plaster cube appears to float over the open first-floor at the rear elevation. On the roof, solar panels generate about 80 percent of the home’s electrical and heating needs. The landscaped backyard was designed to resemble an orchard, and includes several defined areas for socializing and entertaining.

In the master bedroom, warm hardwood flooring and backlit perimeter lighting make the space bright and inviting. Panoramic windows overlook the urban cityscape, fostering a feeling of both openness and privacy.

Robison hollows out used books for a variety of objects, including a flask.

Hill included a hidden turntable and mono speaker cabinet in the original design.

With space for shoes (the pair don’t wear any in the home), Rollerblading gear, umbrellas, and more, the deep entrance closet helps the couple maintain their minimalist interior. A hanging rod, made by Specialty Lighting, has an integrated light that turns on when the 200-pound door is opened. specialtylighting.com

Downstairs in the basement, an entertainment room is inspired by the idea of an English pub. Dark, rich wood tones are favored in this popular meeting place for friends. The space was designed to be soundproof in order to maintain privacy from the two older children's bedrooms, also on the basement level. A wine bar, flat screen TV, and stainless steel table complete the space.

The unit can be integrated with other convertible Clei systems to make the most of a small space.

In the foyer, Deam left one surprise: The neon-pink guest bathroom is hidden behind heavy, dark-gray walls.

The apartment’s main stairwell, disguised as a Shaker cabinet–meets–Japanese tansu stair, houses storage for kitchen ephemera. The finish is hand-painted and accessorized with raw brass hardware.