Music Box
Description:
A small footprint home designed to contain a scientist couple’s daily lives and be amendable to transform into a rehearsal and performance space for the fulfillment of their passions of music, dance, and art – a music box.
Narrative:
A couple came to us desiring to update their original post and beam 1960’s home with beautiful views of the hills beyond the Ladera neighborhood. While the siting of the home and views were already wonderful features in place, it soon became clear that a full reconstruction would be necessary to truly capture the client’s needs and reflect their uniqueness. Scientists by day, the clients wanted a space where they could retreat to enjoy their passions of music, dance, and performance.
Our collaboration resulted in a modern 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with an open plan amenable to switching between cozy living quarters and an entertainment and performance venue, despite the home’s small footprint. In addition to capturing the view, the main space’s floor to ceiling windows allow the exterior to become part of the living room as well as nature’s backdrop for performances. The convex roof shape of the home with a stained wood ceiling evokes the wooden curves of the client’s harps and provides excellent acoustics for their rehearsals and performances.
The exterior materials of the residence are an interplay of semi-solid stained vertical wood paneling and travertine that highlight the different volumes of the building. The landscape team’s work captures the natural beauty and sight-lines of the property while also providing hardscaped moments for contemplating art, a complement to the client’s pursuit and endorsement of the arts.