A Modern yet Romantic Mountain Home Near L.A.

Heavy-Timber, Stone, Steel and Glass Define this Modern yet Romantic Mountain Home. Classically Modern and Featuring a Touch of Zen, this Home Reinvents Modern Style.

Many homes have a view. Some embrace the view. Some are simply ambivalent. And then, there are those that squander it. The home originally built upon this site was one of the latter. After many frustrating years trapped in a generic tract-style home with small windows, veritably mocking the site with its vast potential, the owners finally demolished their home. They built another in its place, one which redefines how a home can relate to a view; one which pushes the limits of what it means to integrate a home, site, and view together – a modern yet romantic mountain home.

Understandably, after so much time they were not about to settle for a new home that merely focused on a single view. Nor would they accept a standard home, albeit one with larger windows. Slapping a picture window into a wall simply would not do. Further, building a typical, modern glass box was out of the question. They had a vision of a home that engaged the site, embracing and celebrating all the views.

Of paramount importance was capturing the magnificent sunsets which were barely visible from within their former house. Not to spoil the ending, but in the new home, watching the sun set behind the receding hills is now a family ritual. Dinner guests are even required to arrive at very specific times to avoid missing the show.

Demolished Former Home — Former Home – Demolished

Modern yet Romantic Mountain Home — Former Home – Demolished

House Style

While modern, the home embodies a reinterpreted classicism combined with a touch of Zen. From cabinetry to columns to entire sections, the home follows the classical tripartite motif of base, shaft and capital. Symmetry focuses the eye and calms the mind yet is judiciously broken to create interest. Axes direct the flow of spaces, columns and colonnades abound, and elegant proportions are found throughout. Layered forms and spaces create a beauty derived from complexity. Around every corner there is something more to see, another detail to breathe in.

This classicism is balanced by the rugged, industrial integrity of exposed concrete, steel, and heavy timbers. All the while, glass sings the song of modern design. There is an authenticity revealed by the exposed structure without which the substantial expanses of glass could not exist. And, where the structure dominates the design, it does so in a considerate way, including human-scale details refined to create what we call, structural jewelry. This is the sweet spot where form and function discreetly rendezvous to share a glass of wine.

Although difficult to put in a box, the resulting style might best be described as Industrial Romantic with a touch of Zen.