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Houzz Tour: A Hillside Home 14 Years in the Making
Time meant far less to this California architect than designing a home suited to the land
Finding the perfect site was easy for architect Charles Debbas. Designing an equally perfect home to fit on it was a more difficult matter. Debbas didn't want his new home, perched in the Oakland Hills across the bay from San Francisco, to feel alienated from the hillside. So he sank it into the plot, allowing for level yards and outdoor spaces on every floor.
Western exposure makes for a stunning bay view but means a large part of the home is exposed to the elements. Debbas used durable, man-made materials to keep the exterior of the home relatively maintenance free.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Charles Debbas, his wife and 2 sons
Location: Berkeley, California
Size: 3,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
That's interesting: Debbas bought this lot 14 years before he built on it.
Western exposure makes for a stunning bay view but means a large part of the home is exposed to the elements. Debbas used durable, man-made materials to keep the exterior of the home relatively maintenance free.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Charles Debbas, his wife and 2 sons
Location: Berkeley, California
Size: 3,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
That's interesting: Debbas bought this lot 14 years before he built on it.
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| The outside of the house is made of sustainable, man-made materials that require little maintenance — just a good power wash each year. The cement and resin fiberboard is also fire resistant — a good characteristic for these dry and windy California hills. The fiberboard is designed to look like wood, which gives the modern design a warm feel. |
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| Debbas designed the house so that it sinks down into the plot, allowing for views of the bay from the street and making the house feel more integrated with its surroundings. |
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Debbas' aesthetic inspiration came from the simplicity of modern Scandinavian and Japanese design. "Rooted in minimalism, it also highlights the use of natural lighting, passive solar design, simple materials and form, as well as quiet and eloquent detailing," he says.
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| Inside, Debbas designed the interior so that the home revolved around the presence of light. The numerous windows and skylights allow the look of this home to be consistently redefined from morning to night. |
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This curved window slit, which is situated right above the fireplace in the living room, manipulates the effect of the light in the house.
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| Beech woodwork, black-stained Brazilian cherry floors and warm colors mix up the look on the interior, adding warmth and light in unexpected places. |
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| "Once the house was done, the furniture found itself," says Debbas. Closets and other storage pieces are built in, so he wanted only a few statement pieces to pull the rest of the house together. Sofas and a dining table from B&B Italia, Maharam upholstery and Zanotti chairs reflect the architect's modern style. |
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| Light from a window wall on the western side reflects off the white counters and custom glass backsplash in the kitchen. Originally, Debbas drew up at least two other homes for the space, but neither felt quite right. "This design and its sketches came in about 10 minutes," he says. "The final project is identical to those sketches." |
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| The family room on the bottom floor is one of Debbas' favorites. It's sunken into the site, and the backyard extends directly out from its door to the exterior. The yard — surrounded by olive trees, honeysuckle and oaks — provides a sense of intimacy with a few peeks at the beautiful view. |
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| Each door was individually designed and pivots to open and close. Decks just outside are tiled with ceramic slats designed to look like wood. Like the exterior's fiberboard, the ceramic creates the warmth of wood, without the maintenance. |
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| The glass windows and doors on the back side of the house open fully to connect with the outdoors. Interior railings were installed on the upper levels for safety. |
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| "At night we sleep with the windows wide open, enjoying the entire bay view uninterrupted and the fragrant honeysuckle I planted along the entire back fence," says Debbas. Photos: Cesar Rubio and Nic Lehoux |
Ideabook published on July 31, 2012.
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Warm and inviting,but cutting edge at the same time.Not easy to pull off.