When lifestyle is a deeply respected sentiment for old and new alike

Compiled by Pari Syal

Photography: Taiyo Watanabe; courtesy v2com

Read Time: 2 mins

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Organic architecture experts Conner + Perry Architects adapt a modest California 1940’s era cabin into a luxurious residence that serves as a backdrop for a world-class art collection…

Nestled into the Santa Monica Canyon, this seamless home fits into its wooded locale like a hand in a glove – into a befittingly manicured landscape on the outside with the property’s surrounding Oak and Eucalyptus trees; and an interior that allows for reflection, openness, and serenity.

Salvaging as much of the original house as possible and staying true to its historical references, the close client-architect collaboration transforms this place into a beatific expanse that is rooted amid its majestic woody surroundings and designed to harbour a lavishly contemporary lifestyle. 

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Key design features include windows that frame the magnificent trees, extended canopy-like, cantilevered eaves, and fully pocketing glass exterior walls that open to a central courtyard to offer the perfect balance of indoor-outdoor living. Every view in the house is designed to captivate with either nature or art. 

Initial plans by John Lautner protégé, architect Duncan Nicholson, set the stage for Conner + Perry Architects, formerly with Nicholson’s office, to complete and enhance the project, despite his untimely passing. 

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Repurposed felled Eucalyptus wood found on the property into outdoor furniture and key elements within the house, including the grand entry doors is indicative of an honest tribute to the era of the evolution of the cabin. In keeping, exterior materials for the new home are selected for their organic nature, ability to age in place, and compatibility with the climate, such as charred wood siding (Shou Sugi Ban), copper, exposed steel, and concrete. Interior materials are chosen to reflect the nature outside, including a mix of Massangis grey limestone and French oak for the flooring, weathered brass, blackened steel elements, and a variety of marbles and tiles, including art tiles by Lubna Chowdhary.

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For the homeowners, who’ve both grown up in the neighbourhood, the chance to collaborate on the design process and build a space for their impressive art collection was a dream. For Conner + Perry, the home represents exactly what the clients were seeking — a quintessential California indoor/outdoor experience where everything feels open and unified. 

“Each of them has described the house as having a magical or mystical quality, allowing light in at the right moments, as well as the shadows of the trees, and a calming mirroring effect,” says principal, Kristopher Conner. 

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Conner + Perry Architects once again strive to bring their philosophy of design to bear on a contemporary practice that addresses the challenges and concerns of today’s clientele and marketplace, while maintaining a sense of timelessness that is inherent in an architecture that is at once unique, profound, and useful.

Fact File:

Architect Firm: Conner + Perry Architects

Principal Architects: Kristopher Conner and James Perry

Interior Designers: Olivia Williams, Olivia Williams Interior Design and Matthew Merrell, Merrell Design Co.

Landscape Architecture: Case Fleher, Landscape Workspace

Location: Los Angeles, United States.