project

Based in San Francisco, the clients for this project purchased the site from a retiring couple who relocated mid-way through the design process. Picking up where the former owners left off, the new owners worked closely with Juancarlos and his team to create a jewel box home that was at once incredibly beautiful, and wonderfully simple. In the client’s words, it is “just enough.” 

Bordering a forested glade of black oak trees, with views of Mt. St. Helena and the Palisades, the site is surrounded by neighboring homes in every direction. With the views as the driving principal, the design team let the building openings dictate what structure wanted to be. The framing of views, both near and far, drove the design and caused the small home to feel far larger than its modest footprint. In order to maintain an intimate scale, the two-car garage/workout room is detached from the main house.

Set in a garden that is defined by a cedar fence and the large sweep of a landscaped berm, the house nestles into the landscape, which provides a subtle but very real sense of privacy. Pockets of space within and defined moments in the landscape without, provide endless opportunities to enjoy the house and site in differing ways. Gravel walkways provide defensible space, and a variety of drought-tolerant, Mediterranean-inspired plantings blooms in succession throughout the seasons. The material palette – both exterior and interior – is quiet and neutral, allowing the views to take precedence. The couple’s beloved—and lively—yellow lab has the run of the house, so designer Sarah Allan selected furnishings and finishes are refined, but hardy. This is a house that is well-loved, and lived in.