Clockwise from top left : the ADU , built with a rebate from a useless lawn ; the outdoor living room and deck ; the ADU ’ s pathway to the main house , connected by a butterfly roof ; the homeowner ’ s favorite space , looking out to “ nature ’ s wallpaper ” and the terraced gardens
“ an homage to the 60s ,” says the homeowner . “ I wanted a mid-century look and the architect had the idea to connect the two buildings with a breezeway . Fom the street it integrates it into one house . The Butterfly effect created a nice volume with an architectural element with clerestory windows on top .”
But what really sold the home was the expansive deck and the view that surrounded it . “ When I first laid eye on that wall of greenery , it wasn ’ t anything I ’ ve seen before ,’ said the homeowner . “ It ’ s my wallpaper . Even when my architect first came here his jaw dropped . Having both greenery and an ocean view is such a luxury .”
When he first looked over the land , with its terraced succulent gardens and open space , “ I said , I ’ m going to have a party there .” With a few iterations , he moved all of the cactus and created terraces for fruit trees ; banana , fig , nectarine , mandarins , limes , pomegranate , blood orange , pear , plum , and sweet potatoes as ground cover .
Inside , the sparse furnishings are from the homeowner ’ s collection of mid-century finds from the Rose Bowl and Long Beach flea markets . A Helen Frankenthaler piece adorns the wall , along with artwork that ranges from blowups of LSD prints from Mark McCloud , an artist who expanded the original sheets ( and got arrested for possession of hallucinogens because there were still psychoactive components on the paper ), to a print from an annual New Orleans jazz festival where the artist created a collage of events where “ music is the salve .”
An old useless shed was transformed into an office / music studio which houses the homeowner ’ s drums , guitars and more artwork .
But most of the time , the homeowners spend time in their outdoor living room . On the deck is an large sitting area , a bathtub , a dining table that can accommodate large dinner parties , and a sauna . “ The deck , and the privacy it offers , is amazing . … no one can see us . That to me is precious . .. For the first time in my life , I have land to steward ,” he continues , “ I have never felt called to hang out in my home so much .”
LATITUDE33MAGAZINE . COM | FALL / WINTER 2023 / 24 19