SUNSET

The Sunset Pacific Palisades project is a whole house, major renovation, inside and out, of a 1960s ranch on Sunset Boulevard. Our clients loved the location, but the house was very dated (including painted wood paneling) and hadn’t been updated in decades. The owners presented pretty straightforward needs with a budget large enough to match their goals and complete an entire house remodel. The only challenge was that we needed to work within the existing footprint of the house–within the existing building envelope.

A New Beginning

The homeowners were preparing for two teenagers to leave the nest and wanted the next version of the home to suite the new vision they have for their lives. They wanted a sleek and modern style home that had texture and character, while embracing the home’s mid-century roots. They didn’t want a stark museum piece, but rather a home that had warmth and high-style while embracing the natural elements of water, fire, earth, and air.

A unique water feature at the front entry integrates a tree growing in the center and a fire feature on the curb. Another firepit area in the backyard is the focal point of the conversation area around the pool. Wood and stone are used extensively throughout. Including a Jerusalem Stone partition wall between the living room and the main hallway. The same stone is used on the walls of the Vinium Wine Cellar that is tucked away in one corner of the living room. The wine displays nicely on the floating metal wine display shelves and is easily accessible for outdoor entertaining when the wall of stacking glass doors is open. Dark wood floors, doors, and cabinetry anchor the home rich modern aesthetics. Flat panel, burled veneer was used on the custom kitchen cabinets. A flat wood-paneled wall surrounds the fireplace in the den. A custom steel bookcase ladder provides access to the newly finished attic space. Each steel tread was welded in place on site and the main landing was fabricated in the shop. Four steel balls welded onto the shelves of the book case provide a place to hold onto when climbing the stairs, along with a traditional railing on the left side. A steel trellis shades a private lounge outside of the master bedroom. The trellis design was replicated over the dining area adjacent the pool and over the grilling area at the other end of the home near the main kitchen. All the four elements coalesce to create a version of California modern rooted in style, warmth with depth, and the highest quality craftsmanship.

Collaborating with Clients

This was a fun project because of the collaboration with the clients. We all threw out new ideas and they trusted our team to implement them. The clients were wonderful to work with. When searching out different products, Kurt would take them to distributors and manufacturers so that they would have firsthand knowledge of the choices. Not every client is interested in this level of detail, but in this case, it made this project an enriching experience for us all as we shared a certain vision for the home and were working toward a common goal.

Phase one of the project (the interior) took about a year. Phase two (for the exterior) took about six months and was completed after the clients had moved in. The results of the entire project are transformative.

ARCHITECT: KRUEGER ARCHITECTS
CONSTRUCTION: DESIGN-BUILD
PHOTOGRAPHY: UNLIMITED STYLE PHOTOGRAPHY