Breezy Outdoor Living in Newport Beach
When this streamlined, modern house a mile from the Newport Beach
coast was finished, local passers-by "stopped their cars in the street,
ran up and peeked in the front windows," says architect Paul Davis.
"The owners found this very funny at first and eventually got a little
tired of it, but now the house has settled into the neighborhood
nicely."
The neighborhood is mainly made up of new homes that take up the entirety of their individual sites, so Davis created a more inward-looking home. A tall stucco wall and quiet back courtyard provide plenty of privacy in the outdoor spaces. Plenty of porches and patios offer access to the sunny outdoors from every room.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with 2 teenage daughters
Location: Newport Beach, California
Size: 3,400 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 5 baths
That's interesting: Davis and one of the clients were college roommates.
The neighborhood is mainly made up of new homes that take up the entirety of their individual sites, so Davis created a more inward-looking home. A tall stucco wall and quiet back courtyard provide plenty of privacy in the outdoor spaces. Plenty of porches and patios offer access to the sunny outdoors from every room.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with 2 teenage daughters
Location: Newport Beach, California
Size: 3,400 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 5 baths
That's interesting: Davis and one of the clients were college roommates.
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Patios and porches on every level,
large sliding glass doors and windows and a simple material palette
emphasize the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. "I
think the house is a little like an Italian hill town — from inside it,
you look out at equally lovely adjacent parts and your friends and
outdoor places you share. It all feels integrated and wonderful," says
Davis.
Outdoor furniture: Richard Schultz 1966 Collection |
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The exterior of the main part of
the house has gray steel-troweled stucco with a subtle texture. This
rectangular building makes up the hub of the home, and additional
structures covered in red cedar plug into it.
The house is fortunately sited right next to an alley, which is where the driveway and garage are situated. "This way, there's no need to feature the driveway and garage as major components of the look and function of the house's main facade," says Davis. |
To keep costs down and to work
with the family's modern style, Davis stuck with simple, straight lines
and boxes for the architecture. Polished concrete floors on the main
floor are sleek but durable. Light oak hardwood flooring was used
upstairs in the master suite and in the downstairs kids' rooms.
Hardwood floors: Gaetano Hardwood Floors; front door paint: Tawny Day Lily, Benjamin Moore
Hardwood floors: Gaetano Hardwood Floors; front door paint: Tawny Day Lily, Benjamin Moore
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The husband loves to cook, so the
family wanted a kitchen where they could do some serious cooking but
still have the space to spend time together. The spacious kitchen
workspace includes a sturdy island with a Staturio Venato marble
countertop. The island faces a casual dining area where the family eats
almost all their meals.
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Big sliding doors in the kitchen
open up both walls in this space. Like most of the other rooms, the
kitchen gets natural light from all sides. Full-height glazing allows
light to pour in from the south, filtered by bamboo along the property
line. A partition separates the entry hall from the kitchen but doesn't
reach all the way to the ceiling, allowing light to enter from the front
of the house.
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Davis chose a light-color palette
for the materials and furniture so that the family's possessions and
accessories could provide the main color points. Bright books and knickknacks create visual interest on a white full-height bookshelf in the living room.
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A small fireplace turns the living
room into a cozy and comfortable hangout spot during the winter. During
the summer, the doors in this room slide completely open.
Chandelier: Flos Sarfatti Suspension Lamp; lighting: Kenneth Brian Vick, Lightopia |
The main staircase sits just
outside the formal dining room. A powder room and a closet are tucked
under the stairs — their doors are hidden, integrated into the paneling.
The staircase is a primary source of light in the house. It's housed in a glass-face box that rises above the roof, leaning south. This glass box acts like a periscope, reflecting light down into the home.
The staircase is a primary source of light in the house. It's housed in a glass-face box that rises above the roof, leaning south. This glass box acts like a periscope, reflecting light down into the home.
The master bathroom is one of
Davis' favorite rooms in the house. Limestone floors, marble countertops
and oiled teak cabinetry all glow from the light that floods the room
through the massive skylight. The team installed this double-layer
skylight over the entire shower and bathtub. The ceiling well is smaller
than the skylight frame so that the view from the shower is pure sky.
Davis installed a laundry chute in the vanity here for convenience. The alignment between the upper and lower levels made installation easy.
Tile: Arctic White, Waterworks, installed by Andrea Latini, Euro Laguna Marble
Davis installed a laundry chute in the vanity here for convenience. The alignment between the upper and lower levels made installation easy.
Tile: Arctic White, Waterworks, installed by Andrea Latini, Euro Laguna Marble
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The main courtyard, in the back of
the home, sits in front of a bright orange wall, which hides a small
storage building for tools and beach supplies. "We like the bold chunk
of color, which is kind of a reflection of the red entry door," says
Davis.
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Southern-facing roof decks along
the top of the main structure take advantage of the area's plentiful
sunlight. There are no direct ocean views, but the home still gets
bright light and clean ocean air.
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