The design team collaborated with local craftspeople to produce the custom metal and wood elements that define the space. Open kitchen shelves between wood posts display a glass and ceramics collection concealed by vintage pebbled glass in sliding steel frames.

Other warm accents include walnut cabinets, a Douglas Fir end-grain wood floor and a distressed wood island topped with a custom polished pebble terrazzo countertop inspired by a trip to California’s Central Coast. The client’s growing art collection is given prominence on a movable steel track, allowing the television to be discreetly hidden when needed.

This modern form of the newly created dramatic spaces introduced a new sense of identity to the existing traditional home. The space between the existing building and the new space was widened with a tall walnut cabinet box, demarcating the shift from old to new and traditional to modern.

A frameless glass corner with oversized Douglas Fir barn doors connects the indoor spaces with a new patio. Wide concrete steps from the patio terrace down to a dining area in the garden below are integrated with planting and a built-in wood bench. The steps create a natural hang-out area while addressing a significant grade change between the patio and the backyard.

The striking asymmetric roofline design takes full advantage of Southern California’s temperate beach climate. West-facing clerestory windows draw natural daylight deeper into the space and capture ocean breezes, negating the need for air-conditioning while maintaining privacy on the narrow beach lot. Deep overhangs also protect the north-west-facing glass façade from heat gain.