Houzz Tour: Wood and Wonder in a Modern Carmel Residence
Gracefully aligned with its ocean views, this Asian-influenced home for a retired California couple has a deep relationship with nature
John Hill
April 9, 2013
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor... More
Carmel-by-the-Sea (often called just Carmel), a small town on California's Monterey Peninsula, is known as much for its golf as for its natural beauty. Chicago's Dirk Denison Architects tapped into this beauty in a house the firm designed on a narrow site overlooking Carmel Bay and the Pacific Ocean for a retired couple looking to downsize. Wood, steel and glass combine to create something modern yet beautifully integrated into its natural and built context. This ideabook tours the house, from the curb to the roof and just about everything in between.
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Size: 2,600 square feet
That's interesting: The first floor is oriented around a semienclosed courtyard, and the second floor is devoted to a meditation and yoga room.
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Size: 2,600 square feet
That's interesting: The first floor is oriented around a semienclosed courtyard, and the second floor is devoted to a meditation and yoga room.
Given the high value of land in the town, a stone's throw from the most expensive public golf course in the country (Pebble Beach: $495 for 18 holes as I write this), the narrow lots are turned 90 degrees to the coast. This maximizes the number of lots with Pacific frontage, but it also orients houses to the sun, something that we'll see Denison took advantage of in the layout of the house.
Here we are looking at the house's western front. The garage is tucked underneath the first floor, and above it we can see a small room popping above the roofline.
Here we are looking at the house's western front. The garage is tucked underneath the first floor, and above it we can see a small room popping above the roofline.
From the driveway, residents and visitors walk along a path on the south side that ascends to the front door. The wood siding — the most prominent aspect of the street frontage — continues here. Before reaching the front door, one passes through a gate made from wood fins and steel, a hint of things to come.
Most of the 2,600-square-foot residence is on the first floor. The spaces overlook a courtyard covered with a glass roof and open on the side (right) through deep-set fins of mahogany and steel. These vertical pieces allow for light, breezes and views when seen from the front, but when viewed at an angle, privacy is maintained.
Here we are looking toward the master bedroom (note the opened wall between the courtyard and bedroom) from the entrance and living room.
Here we are looking toward the master bedroom (note the opened wall between the courtyard and bedroom) from the entrance and living room.
Bamboo and another layer of wood fins add more privacy. Here we are looking from just outside the courtyard's wood fins (note the edge of the glass roof at the top) toward the entrance gate.
Here we are again looking at the outside of the courtyard, along the path from the entrance gate to the master bedroom. There is very little in the way of yard available on the lot, but every last bit of it is carefully enhanced with plantings or pavings. The Asian influence is readily apparent in this view of the fins, bamboo and stepping stones.
In this view of the courtyard, we are looking from the master bedroom toward the living room and entrance. In the foreground is a Japanese ofuro (tub) installed for watching the evening sky. Asian design influences come across in the vertical screens and in elements like the tub.
As we step inside, it's apparent how the vertical wood fins create a structural rhythm that is repeated throughout, even when the walls are solid. There are hints of Frank Lloyd Wright in this repetition, as well as in the built-in sofas on the left and right. The requisite Eames Lounge Chair sits in front of the fireplace.
Here we are looking from the living room, near the front of the house, back toward the entrance (the glass corner in the middle-right portion of the photo) and the courtyard beyond. With the sliding doors between the interiors and courtyard open, the first floor is one huge, open space, ideal when ocean breezes aren't too cool.
Here we are looking from the living room, near the front of the house, back toward the entrance (the glass corner in the middle-right portion of the photo) and the courtyard beyond. With the sliding doors between the interiors and courtyard open, the first floor is one huge, open space, ideal when ocean breezes aren't too cool.
The vertical fins also act as room dividers, in this case between the living room and the kitchen. As seen in the previous photo, this screen separates the two spaces visually when seen from an angle, but a frontal view like this one is very open.
The fireplace serves like a hinge of sorts: To the left the windows are clerestory (the windows by the entrance path seen earlier), but on the right the windows are large. These windows are raised above the path and driveway for privacy and also set back by a small terrace (access to it is just visible on the right edge of the photo) that faces the Pacific.
The fireplace serves like a hinge of sorts: To the left the windows are clerestory (the windows by the entrance path seen earlier), but on the right the windows are large. These windows are raised above the path and driveway for privacy and also set back by a small terrace (access to it is just visible on the right edge of the photo) that faces the Pacific.
The galley kitchen continues the simplicity of materials — wood and, instead of steel, granite tops that are nevertheless dark like the steel details. The line of the kitchen ends in the breakfast area (no formal dining area is included), which looks to the ocean.
The first floor may be oriented to the introverted courtyard, but I could see the breakfast area being one of the owners' favorite spots. It is cozy, it has well-integrated built-in seating and it has that view — the trees in the foreground and the water beyond are sights hard to tire of.
The short ends of the courtyard are capped by the living room and master bedroom. Just off the corridor linking those two spaces is a small office, shown here, that overlooks the courtyard. On the corridor side of the wood fins is a large opening with sliding windows, here in the open position. These allow for cross ventilation when desired.
Just off the corridor by the office, a door leads to an exterior stair to the meditation room. A few tatami mats are on the floor, and there is a guest mattress, so the space can double as a guest bedroom (behind us is a compartmentalized bath set). In front of the built-in seating is an elevator, an important element considering the clients are older.
A porch off the meditation and yoga space overlooks the Pacific. But on days where going outside is not desirable, a stunning scooped skylight provides views of the treetops, sky and stars.
A porch off the meditation and yoga space overlooks the Pacific. But on days where going outside is not desirable, a stunning scooped skylight provides views of the treetops, sky and stars.
We end our tour on the second-floor porch overlooking the Pacific, a 180-degree view from where we started.
It echoes the breakfast nook downstairs, and it shows how Denison made something special in every room of the house. It's not just about the courtyard; it's about the experience of each space and how it relates to the trees, sky and water around it.
It echoes the breakfast nook downstairs, and it shows how Denison made something special in every room of the house. It's not just about the courtyard; it's about the experience of each space and how it relates to the trees, sky and water around it.
Related Stories
Contemporary Homes
Houzz Tour: Boston Pied-à-Terre Designed for Evenings
By Becky Harris
A designer found on Houzz infuses a condo with a sultry vibe inspired by supper clubs and luxe boutique hotels
Full Story
Guesthouses
Houzz Tour: Light-Filled 704-Square-Foot Modern Cottage
By Becky Harris
An architect and a designer create a light and airy feel, cozied up by layers of textures
Full Story
Outbuildings
Family Gatherings in Argentina Inspire a Pavilion and Guesthouse
By Becky Harris
A new yard adds room for hosting, swimming and bringing part of one homeowner’s culture to her family’s Seattle home
Full Story
Transitional Homes
Houzz Tour: Organic Style on an Avocado Ranch
By Becky Harris
A designer uses a soft neutral palette, handmade tile and reclaimed wood to update a 1980s contemporary home
Full Story
Transitional Homes
Houzz Tour: Elegant, Earthy Ranch House for an Empty-Nest Couple
Design styles, warm neutral colors and special details blend in a Minnesota ranch-style house with a finished basement
Full Story
Contemporary Homes
Houzz Tour: Colorado Forever Home Is a Family Affair
By Becky Harris
The mountain home was designed for gatherings and to make the most of views of Pikes Peak and surroundings
Full Story
Contemporary Homes
Houzz Tour: Open and Inviting Mountain Home Near Lake Tahoe
By Becky Harris
A designer creates a warmly minimalist California getaway that can stand up to snow and mud
Full Story
Homes Around the World
Houzz Tour: Period Home Gains Color and Character
By Kate Burt
Before-and-after photos show how a bold palette and restored features bring warmth and personality to this English house
Full Story
Modern Homes
Houzz Tour: New Home Gets a Midcentury Modern Makeover
By Julie Sheer
A designer in Boston reworks the kitchen and primary suite and adds style with furnishings, lighting and more
Full Story
Barn Homes
Houzz Tour: Old Barns Become an Airy, Modern-Rustic Home
A barn home in Devon, England, sits lightly on the land and offers simple, relaxing spaces for an extended family
Full Story
I've been so homesick for Carmel lately, I've been watching YouTube videos of homes for sale there. This is my favorite ocean view, as opposite to just favorite, home in Carmel, in Wildcat Cove. I want to move back to Carmel when I see homes there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw29w5ID2Qw I think Carmel Highlands might be my favorite area because of the views. There's nowhere like Carmel..it's like a fairytale to me.
Four years and hundreds of Houzz Tours later, this house is still my favorite.