DESIGN

TTHE DOSSIER his was a teardown project. The clients had purchased a dated and run-down home from the '90s with the intention of completely demolishing and starting over. The land is what sold them on the property. The home overlooks farmland, the dunes, and the Pacific Ocean. It's breathtaking. We started the process from scratch and I introduced them to their architect, Pack Design. With Pack Design, we worked to create a cohesive interior and exterior that reflected our client's tastes but also honored the surrounding landscape. This project is one of my favorites because it is a great example of "warm modern" and how you can really bring the outdoors in with special thought to finishes.

THE CRITERIA

An indoor gym was a must! We designed that space to have plenty of natural light and installed cork flooring for a super soft and sustainable floor. The other unusual request was a "his and hers" suite. The home has two primary bedrooms and accompanying bathrooms. There are little "niches" throughout the home that allow for a beautiful garden space. Each primary bedroom allows for this indoor/outdoor connection, an important consideration for our clients.

THE CHALLENGES Seeing the neighbors' homes from the front yard. - Our client's home is situated on top of a mesa in an older part of town. The houses across the street are older and a little more *run down.* The architectural designer worked hard to address this challenge by placing the windows in ways that captured the right sections of the beautiful views out over the mesa. In addition, Pack Design added clerestory windows in the master bath, to capture as much natural light as possible, in areas of the home where adding a regular window would have created a less than ideal view.

Heavy winds due to location - There is lots of dirt and sand up on the mesa, so that created a challenge we had to overcome during construction and made for a messier job site. Luckily, we had understanding clients. Once their outdoor areas are landscaped, this problem will be solved, allowing them to enjoy their new indoor | outdoor lifestyle, year around. 50-foot setback off of the mesa created challenges for the layout - We had a smaller lot to work with because of this, but solved for it beautifully with the "H" style floorplan, which suited the client's needs perfectly. Harsh salt air - The materials we specified had to be very durable. We used a combination of smooth stucco, stacked stone and cedar siding for the entryway. The eaves are also lined with cedar. It's a beautiful wood that will hold up in the harsh salt air, but we wanted to limit its use, for maximum visual impact. The deck that faces the ocean is accoya wood, another strong durable material that will hold up for years.

DESIGNER: Ariana Lovato SITE: honeycombhomedesign.com LOCATION: Arroyo Grande, California

FACING PAGE: A stunning wood-clad ceiling and natural stone wall lay the foundation for a custom, coastal kitchen with lots of natural light. ABOVE: Cork flooring was installed for the indoor gym, a 'musthave' item for the homeowners. RIGHT: Wood and stone is repeated indoors and outdoors in this family home... for aesthetics and for durability. BELOW: Durable and natural finishes give this gorgeous seaside home a modern and sophisticated look while still protecting it from harsh elements.

PROVENANCE

by Laura Muller for SEASONAL LIVING

~LAURA MULLER

Internationally recognized, award winning interior designer/builder, Laura Muller, is principal and co-owner of Los Angeles based, FOUR POINT DESIGN BUILD.

A past president of the American Society of Interior Designers - LA chapter, a member of the prestigious Monogram Appliances Design Council, Laura was also a recipient of the prestigious Adele Faulkner Award for Community Service.

Laura's interior design-build work has graced the pages of print and online magazines nationwide.

TAMRA COVIELLO shares her recent project with us. Discover how she and her team at Blackdoor Design make the most of the San Diego climate by blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors in this beautiful home.

COVER STORY

TTELL US ABOUT THE CLIENTS he clients were fairly new empty nesters. While I was working on this project, their last child was graduating from college. They purchased their dream home and were ready to invest in design in a way that would allow them to entertain their friends and family in a chic, sophisticated indoor | outdoor setting, year-round. I found myself drawn to creating unique and different ways for two people to reconnect after 20+ years of raising their children.

WHAT UNIQUE REQUESTS DID YOU NEED TO ADDRESS?

My client's home is in a brand new community in San Diego. The builder capitalized on the beautiful year-round weather here with La Cantina doors that slide into the walls to achieve one large indoor | outdoor living space. My clients requested I find ways to maximize this feature, along with maximizing the modern pool and gym in the backyard and the several conversational spaces prevalent throughout the floor plan. The first space I addressed was

Melissa Au

DESIGNER: Tamra Coviello SITE: blackdoorbytc.com LOCATION: San Diego, California

THIS PAGE ABOVE: Sliding glass partitions tuck away completely to create spaces that are closed off, when desired, or opened up to create a seamless flow from indoors to outdoors. RIGHT: A textural wall to match the one in the living room acts as a backdrop for fine furnishings in this elegant dining area. FACING PAGE TOP: Seating areas in and out of the pool and plenty of garden areas create a backyard retreat. FACING PAGE BOTTOM: Custom, weatherresistant drapery can be closed to create a private space or opened up for entertaining.

Werner Straube Melissa Au

the outdoor living room which appears as part of the interior - separated by glass. By choosing similar colors and textures for the interior and exterior furnishings and accessories, I was able to accomplish a consistent flow from the interior to the exterior.

HOW DID SUSTAINABILITY PLAY INTO THE PROJECT? Sustainability considerations are always part of Blackdoor's process when sourcing for our clients. In this project, our clients appreciated how we sourced from local vendors and how we used sustainable materials. For example, we used textiles from Sunbrella, a leading outdoor fabric supplier, which uses recycled fibers in its production process. In addition, we sourced 60% of the furnishings for this home from local vendors, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions from long-distance transportation.

WHAT UNIQUE TOUCHES FOR INDOOR | OUTDOOR LIVING DID YOU INCORPORATE? We designed this home to optimize for flexibility between open indoor | outdoor entertainment space and privacy for the times when our clients wanted intimacy or needed to be productive. For instance, the custom grommeted drapery we designed can be closed around the daybed to create a private and intimate space. The custom walnut console and stools we designed can be used outdoors for a workspace in the fresh air when they aren't being used by our clients for their dinner parties.

EARTHY EASE

Designer LORI MIYA paints a colorful canvas of earth tones and natural materials in this Utah home.

To accomodate a wish list that included mountain views, a spacious gourmet kitchen and pantry as the client loves to cook and entertain, a private office and a large gathering space, the couple brought in award-winning Utah based design firm, Miya Interiors. The space needed to be single level with great views for everyday living and highfunctioning to facilitate their love for entertaining.

The couple loves to cook together and entertain so the kitchen was a top priority for space planning. The gourmet kitchen is flanked by a walk-in pantry. A section of floating shelves in walnut was installed to create a space to display the homeowners' large collection of serving pieces they have gathered on their travels and keep them close at hand for use.

The biggest challenge for interior designer Lori Miya was fitting everything the homeowners requested on one level, given the size of their lot. Because the clients love to entertain, a large loft area was eventually added for their out-of-town guests, solving

ABOVE: Warm woods and black accents again a white backdrop create an entry space that is modern yet inviting and casual. RIGHT: Cozy upholstered dining chairs around a circular table are paired with modern art and fixtures in this intimate dining space.

Lindsay Salazar DESIGNER: Lori Miya SITE: miyainteriors.com LOCATION: Clearfield, Utah

Lindsay Salazar

the problem. The loft area includes a large family room with game and kitchenette spaces, a large bunk room, and a bathroom. Storage was also incorporated for seasonal items.

The overall priority of this home was accessibility. Because the homeowners are approaching retirement, future needs were taken into consideration during the design phase. For instance, there are no stairs, both the patio and garage are ramped, and walk-in showers were blocked to accommodate future grab bar placement.

To make the most of the surrounding golf course environment and the stunning mountain and lake views, a fire pit, outdoor seating areas, and garden areas were added. Columnar maple tree-lined fences were added for privacy and light control. The homeowners can now entertain their friends and family indoors or outdoors, in every season.

KEY ASPECTS

FLOW AND FUNCTION

There is a beautiful ease to this home achieved with the floorplan, finishes and the furnishings. Ten-foot ceilings give a sense of volume without feeling cold. Hardwood flooring throughout warms the space, and expansive windows create a connection to the outdoors.

GOURMET ALL DAY

Her desire for an all white kitchen, combined with his love for warm woods, were effortlessly blended to create a kitchen where they both love to entertain and cook.

SHOW AND TELL

To highlight the homeowners' love of travel, a series of recessed shelves were designed to proudly display the many items they have collected on their journeys.

Lindsay Salazar

Lindsay Salazar

Lindsay Salazar

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Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Add tomato slices. 7. Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes or until everything is heated through and the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Cool slightly, cut into pieces, and top with basil leaves before serving.

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serving. For the glaze: 1. Place 4 tablespoons of clementine juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the juice and swirl the bowl to make sure all of the gelatin is covered. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes for the gelatin to absorb the juice. 2. After 10 minutes, place 2 tablespoons of clementine juice in a small bowl. Add cornstarch and stir to fully combine. Place 8 tablespoons of clementine juice and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the juice/ cornstarch mixture. Then whisk in the juice/gelatin mixture. Allow to cool slightly before pouring over cake. For the garnishes: 1. Preheat oven to 180˚F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 2. Cut the clementines into very thin slices, horizontally, and place them on paper towels. Use another paper towel to blot them dry as much as possible. 3. Put sugar in a small shallow bowl. Press each side of each clementine slice in the sugar, then place the slices on the parchment-lined baking sheet. 4. Bake for 2-3 hours or until the slices are completely dry. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the tray. Store any remaining candied clementine slices in an airtight container. 5. Create the yogurt cream by whipping together 1 cup of Greek yogurt with 2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar until light and fluffy.

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THE WINS

• The way all of the finishes came together to create a warm modern feel and reflect the exterior landscape. • Working through the challenges of project delays, difficulty with the build, permitting issues, supply issues (right at the start of COVID). • Working with clients who had very different tastes and creating harmony between them.

THE INDOOR/OUTDOOR BLEND

Our weather here is beautiful year-round so indoor/ outdoor living is HUGE here. We designed a large deck out the living room with a folding door system that allows the clients to open up their space completely. We used Accoya wood for the decking so it matches closely to their hardwood, allowing for a seamless look. Their view warrants a lot of outdoor living and the home was really designed to take advantage of that, whether you are inside or outside. They are eventually installing a plunge pool and a hot tub but landscaping is not complete yet. Both bathrooms also open up to a small alcove that allows for enjoying the garden space, meditating, or just catching some sun.

IN OUR SPRING ISSUE WE WILL BRING YOU NEW, EASY-TO-MAKE SEASONAL DISHES, WELLNESS AND TRAVEL TIPS, AND DESIGN THAT IS DRIPPING WITH GLORIOUS COLOR. LOOK FOR THE NEW ISSUE AT THE BEGINNING OF SPRING 2022.

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