Dining area of the Great Room with stairs leading up to the skylighted Entry area.

Detail of lighted steps with a glass rail and onamental alcoves underneath.

Views to the outside and great room areas from the kitchen.

View through the dining area and kitchen from the living room.

Split-level entry that ties the two floors and two outdoors areas together

Open area for relaxing and socializing

Floor to ceiling windows to help experience the feel of living in the clouds

Inviting entry that links the house to the garage and the outdoors

Open to the Great Room for entertaining

Plenty of space to prepare and cook for multiple chefs

Raised sink that doubles as an ice bucket.

Welcoming entry to the house

Structural support columns painted black to complement kitchen design

Several interior walls were removed to create a more spacious great room.

Corner clerestory windows give more expansive views as one goes up or down the stairs.

New glass rail and metal cladded chimney

Added on the side of house to preserve existing interior floor space.

To help break down building mass.

The house sits nicely in the Del Monte Forest

Dark Sky lighting design as night time falls

Views of the Living and Dining areas with the clerestory windows above and new recessed lighting shelves

Completely remodeled kitchen with clerestory windows above

Remodeled fireplace in the Nook area

A nurturing Sitting Area off the Master Bedroom with a remodeled fireplace and a large picture window looking into the gardens with clerestory windows above letting light into the Master Bedroom

Remodeled Master Bathroom looking into a private courtyard

View through the new dining area to the entry and bedroom hallway beyond. A front bedroom was removed to create a formal dining area which gave the entry area a more spacious feel.

The Living area was reduced to create a new Master Bedrrom but left anough area for an intimate sittinage area.

The Kitchen was remodeled with new bay window and a Nook area beyond

A Zen inspired Powder Room 

The Master Bedroom that was created out of some of the former Living Room area.

His and her sinks on either side of the walk in closet. Rain Forest Marble was chosen to give a intimate "mossy grotto" feel in the bathroom, including the shower area.

An inviting entry into a home nestled into its surroundings.

Overlapping textures and building planes of the house and deck help break up the mass of the house and settle it into the grounds

The house with the second story addition

The original house

Front courtyard with Office and Entry addition

Master Bathroom tub that opens to a private side courtyard

View from the Kitchen to the Living and Dining areas.. Since the kitchen was so visible, it was treated like an oversized wet bar with a large storage pantry to keep the counters clear of clutter and the oven bank and refrigerator tucked in a corner next to the pantry.

Master Bedroom seen from the Sitting Room

This was a complete remodel of a 450 SF nonconforming beach home on a site that had many challenging zoning restrictions. The owners had a very tight budget so the home was designed around many items the owners salvaged from the Habitat for Humanity ReStores such as windows, doors, fireplaces, bathroom fixtures and such. Going with a flat roof enabled the rooms to have higher ceilings and roof lines that gave the little house some presence among the 2 story apartment buildings that surrounded it. 

This was a complete rebuild of 1920s Spanish Style unreinforced masonry home in Laguna Beach. Another 3000 SF was added and the additions were terraced into the hillside. Much care was taken in recreating the original style and ornamentation with molds & mock-ups and using authentic materials. The floor plan is an upside down plan that allows the upper living areas to open out on to balconies and take advantage of the panoramic ocean views and allows the lower level bedrooms rooms to open out on to garden balconies or private courtyards.

This 4500 SF Capistrano Beach home was designed for an in-fill lot and the owners collection of southwest art. The floor plan is an upside down plan so the upper living areas would have maximum views of the ocean between the adjacent houses and trees. The contemporary Spanish style design allowed for a better fenestration layout to follow the suns path and pick up on the natural breezes as well as allowing for higher ceiling lines and a roof deck within a tight height limit restriction. The front entry foyer is placed halfway between the two floors for easy access and spaciaous circulation between the floors and without a long stair case from the front private courtyard.

Sadly, one of the owners died while the project was ready to go under construction and the project was sold. Although the house was finished, some of the contemporary architectural features were eliminated or traditionalized.

Views to the living area with a new arched entryway into the bedroom areas

Another view of the Great Room looking towards the dining area and Kitchen entry

Kitchen was remodeled using vintage inspried cabinets and appliances

Guest bedroom restored with remodeled bathroom

Restored exterior of the house

Front View

Designed to overlook the coutyard gardens

Dining Nook

With Kitchen beyond

Living Area

With Bedroom beyond that can be closed off with pocket doors