This house is the transformation of an intimate, 1100 sf bungalow into an expanded space for a growing family. The site is one of the few remaining through-block lots in the Ocean Park section of Santa Monica. It gently slopes towards a local public park and has a dramatic western view of the Pacific Ocean.
The renovated bungalow comprises the upper level of the house and has become the main living area, complete with a master bedroom and study. An addition to the house was excavated from beneath the original bungalow and supports a new terrace that takes advantage of the ocean view. The wall framing of the existing bungalow was left intact, and a new roof was suspended over the house to allow light to enter via interior clerestories.

Within the house a simple palette of materials unifies all of the spaces. Alternating planes of solid and translucent materials evoke the colored planes of Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park paintings series and connect the house to the sloping landscape. Vertical elements include sliding doors of aluminum honeycomb that allow privacy without omitting light, custom maple cabinets, a fireplace covered in a blue-grey plaster, and a main stair of colored cast concrete lined with glass. Upstairs the flooring is made of maple to match the cabinetry, and downstairs the floors are paved with a custom-cut blue-green soapstone.