Eagerly awaiting retirement, a New England-based client acquired a property in a former office building in central Lisbon. Artfully refurbished by Frederico Valsassina Arquitectos, the façade is composed of geometric strata of medium-gray panels alternating with weathered vertical staves. Our studio’s brief was to furnish and equip the interior of the vacation home to converse with the architecture, so family and friends visiting Lisbon would stay in an elegant, private setting, filled with locally-made and designer items. Upon entering, a small shelf and mirror function as a welcome valet. The corridor opens to a cozy living room with lambent afternoon light let in by large sliding doors. Just outside, the balcony sports a café table and chairs set for an aperitivo. An enveloping sofa, produced in Portugal, and an organic recliner, create an intimate lounge area facing a classic, modular media cabinet. An artisan-made wool ottoman adds a beat of color; the lights speak in plump opaline glass and thin black metal rods. The glass top of the dining table fades into the space, leaving its sculptural, marine blue base; in a play of textures, the upholstery of the dining chairs coordinates elegantly with the smoked glass. Tile, oak, and stainless steel come together in a custom kitchen island, with additional counter space and convenient storage. As the interior is replete with oiled oak in the floors, baseboards, doors, and cabinetry, matching wood furniture warms the bedrooms. The vertical spindles of the beds recall the pattern of the exterior façade. Laptop work is accommodated by a small console desk with a chair clothed in burgundy. Acorn-shaped pendants, inviting bed linens and rugs, and undulating curtains, all in the warm white of the walls, form a nest for relaxation.

Built for the Bluff, A Sea Ranch Home is Remade from the Inside Out The house had always been grounded, on an ocean bluff at The Sea Ranch. It sits unencumbered, adjacent to one of the most dramatic stretches of the Sonoma coast with protected commons meadow to the east, uninterrupted Pacific views to the west, and a bluff trail running alongside. What it lacked was the feeling of home, one that could hold up its own against the natural landscape. The owners are entrepreneurs with deep involvement across tech, real estate, and development and they know how things are built. The Sea Ranch house had been in their lives for years, a second residence and a place for family to gather. Built for a different time, it felt more compromising than comfortable. Sitting in a closed off nook, the kitchen fit one cook at a time and turned its back on the rest of the house. The entry was dim and compressed, divided by a structural column that presented itself at exactly the wrong moment. The primary suite was small relative to the view outside it. A large rear bedroom sat behind a lowered ceiling with a bathroom that had never been added. The house was certainly worth the trouble of doing it right. What followed was not one project but four, each with its own design challenge, each addressed over a period of time. Where the House Meets the Ocean The most complex piece of the project, in both structural and spatial terms, was the kitchen expansion. The existing room was a single-person galley squeezed in as an afterthought with no meaningful connection to the dining room, the living space, or the deck outside. To make it useful for a family that cooks and gathers, it needed to grow outward into an existing patio and flow into the rooms around it. A big challenge was the roofline. Several planes at different pitches and angles converged directly where additional volume was needed. A new form had to join that geometry without reading as a correction. The solution found the simplest possible connection between the existing angles, a roofline that from outside the structure, appears entirely original. From the bluff trail where the addition is visible, there is no discernible seam. Inside, the kitchen is now open to the living and dining rooms without interruption. A large sliding glass door connects the space onto the rear deck. The deck itself was expanded and oriented so that the body of the house shields it from the coastal wind which is a common consideration that determines whether outdoor space at The Sea Ranch actually gets used. The result is a room that works for large family gatherings where no one feels cutoff, and one that makes the boundary between being inside and outside easy to ignore. Welcoming Light A structural column stood at the convergence of eight distinct roof planes in the entry. It was load-bearing, but it was also the reason the entry had always felt like a hallway rather than a welcoming arrival. With the structural engineer, a custom steel connector was designed to receive beams from six separate directions, redistributing the load through a single new continuous beam. The column was surgically removed. Three triangular skylights were then cut into the roof above, their shapes drawn from the existing geometry of the planes around them. The entry is now bright and open. The skylights feel native to the structure because they follow the logic already present in the roof. Two Suites, Two Views At opposite ends of the house, the two bedroom suites were each reconfigured, and each found a different way to introduce more of the landscape into the room. An addition to the primary suite extended the structure outward to create a wraparound plan with a loop from the bedroom through bath and closet that had not been possible before. The expansion opened a slot view from the tub and shower toward the ocean. The view is precise and private. The ocean view is present and deliberate. The rear bedroom absorbed an adjacent storage room to transform it into a full second suite with a vaulted ceiling, a large bathroom with a tub, a shower, and a sauna. A private fenced garden courtyard sits just beyond the glass bringing the outdoors inside. The tub was placed so that, looking past the courtyard and through the bedroom beyond, the ocean is visible at the far end. It is a long view and it makes the room feel larger and more settled than its footprint would suggest. Glass on Four Sides, Fire at the Center The main living and gathering room had always been caught between two competing facts: glass on four sides meant exceptional views but at The Sea Ranch, it also meant a cold room. A 360-degree cylindrical fireplace was added at the center on a raised stone base, providing radiant heat in every direction and giving the room a focal point around which a group naturally orients itself, whether that means two people at the end of the day or the whole family after dinner. Owners Who Picked Up the Tools The owner was not a passive client. they came with construction knowledge, specific ideas, and the desire to be an active part of the process, a dynamic that other architects may had found difficult, which Klopf Architecture accepted as an asset. They took it upon themselves to complete some of the work during construction, including the installation of a new radiant heating system beneath the floors. The radiant system added to the older and less-desirable forced-air setup. At The Sea Ranch, that change matters as the house sits close enough to the ocean and moving air competes with the sound of it, where radiant heat does not. Solar panels were added to the roof as part of the new system. Insulation was upgraded throughout the walls, roof, and crawl space. The house that had always had the right setting now holds warmth the way a house on the bluff should. They were also deeply involved in the design and selections throughout, and the finished house reflects both of them in ways that are specific rather than generic. The process took longer and moved through more iterations than a more arms-length relationship might have allowed. The result is more defined and personal because of it. The Landscape Holds Priority Every exterior decision was shaped by The Sea Ranch Design Standards, which require that buildings defer to the landscape around them rather than compete with it. Because this house sits on the bluff and is visible from the public trail, the additions faced a close review. Existing materials were matched. Geometries were resolved. The additions had to become indistinguishable from the original building. From the trail, the house reads exactly as it always has — low, cedar-clad, secondary to the meadow and the water. The setting holds priority. Inside, the house has been remade. Klopf Architecture Project Team: Geoff Campen and Trenton Jewett
Contractor: Shawn Bettega Construction
Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2023
Location: The Sea Ranch, CA

Based on one of our most popular floor plans, the Charleston II by Schumacher Homes offers expanded square footage, clever storage solutions, and effortless daily functionality. At the heart of the home is a chef-inspired custom kitchen featuring expansive counter space, a large center island for gathering, and double-stacked kitchen cabinets for maximized storage. For seamless hosting, a connected messy kitchen and giant walk-in pantry keep prep, clutter, and dishes out of sight from the main living area. A dedicated pocket office provides the ideal flex space to work, organize, or manage daily tasks before leading into the private owner's retreat. Here, you'll find a primary bedroom with dual walk-in closets and a spa-inspired owner's bath complete with a sleek glass shower and a luxurious soaking tub. On the opposite side of the home, additional bedrooms provide private, comfortable spaces for family or guests. Designed with thoughtful layout flow and premium custom details, the Charleston II by Schumacher Homes delivers a harmonious balance of luxury, practicality, and modern living.

The Home Offering stunning curb appeal, The Silverthorne’s modern farmhouse exterior welcomes visitors with charm and style. Inside, the spacious entry leads to a private study and optional full bath, ideal for those working from home. This study may be optioned as a main-floor bedroom, perfect for guests. Those who enjoy entertaining will appreciate The Silverthorne’s open-concept living space with its generous great room and adjacent dining area. The optional expanded kitchen includes a large island, abundant cabinet space and a corner pantry. The second floor features a roomy loft, with enough space to easily accommodate a sofa, entertainment center and two secondary bedrooms with a shared bath. The loft may also be optioned as an additional bedroom. Next to the convenient upstairs laundry, The Silverthorne offers room for a desk to create a dedicated homework space. The airy owner’s suite becomes a private oasis complete with four-piece en-suite bath and expansive walk-in closet. This home features an optional full, unfinished basement with an optional finished design available that includes a rec room, game area, bedroom and a full bath. The Builder Century Communities is a top 10 national homebuilder. Offering new homes under the Century Communities and Century Complete brands, Century is engaged in all aspects of homebuilding — including the acquisition, entitlement and development of land, along with the construction, innovative marketing and sale of quality homes designed to appeal to a wide range of homebuyers. The Colorado-based company operates in 17 states across the U.S., and offers title, insurance and lending services in select markets through its Parkway Title, IHL Insurance Agency, and Inspire Home Loan subsidiaries. To learn more about Century Communities, please visit centurycommunities.com. The Interior Design The Silverthorne model home embraces a casual, cottage style with blues, creams and crisp whites. Organic accents create an inviting space without sacrificing the clean color palette. The home’s design prioritizes livable spaces, like the homework niche adjacent to the laundry room, while maintaining its tranquil appeal. The owner’s suite is a respite for the senses with its shiplap walls while the natural wood furnishings and textures add warmth to the room. This home is the epitome of refined relaxation and comfortable style.

Eagerly awaiting retirement, a New England-based client acquired a property in a former office building in central Lisbon. Artfully refurbished by Frederico Valsassina Arquitectos, the façade is composed of geometric strata of medium-gray panels alternating with weathered vertical staves. Our studio’s brief was to furnish and equip the interior of the vacation home to converse with the architecture, so family and friends visiting Lisbon would stay in an elegant, private setting, filled with locally-made and designer items. Upon entering, a small shelf and mirror function as a welcome valet. The corridor opens to a cozy living room with lambent afternoon light let in by large sliding doors. Just outside, the balcony sports a café table and chairs set for an aperitivo. An enveloping sofa, produced in Portugal, and an organic recliner, create an intimate lounge area facing a classic, modular media cabinet. An artisan-made wool ottoman adds a beat of color; the lights speak in plump opaline glass and thin black metal rods. The glass top of the dining table fades into the space, leaving its sculptural, marine blue base; in a play of textures, the upholstery of the dining chairs coordinates elegantly with the smoked glass. Tile, oak, and stainless steel come together in a custom kitchen island, with additional counter space and convenient storage. As the interior is replete with oiled oak in the floors, baseboards, doors, and cabinetry, matching wood furniture warms the bedrooms. The vertical spindles of the beds recall the pattern of the exterior façade. Laptop work is accommodated by a small console desk with a chair clothed in burgundy. Acorn-shaped pendants, inviting bed linens and rugs, and undulating curtains, all in the warm white of the walls, form a nest for relaxation.

The Portuguese word for garden, Jardim, is a fitting name for this private residential enclave designed by award-winning Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, which overlooks the lush plantings and ephemeral blooms of the world’s favorite elevated park, New York City’s High Line. Tucked discreetly between two elegantly understated towers—Jardim Norte and Jardim Sul—and open to the sun and sky, the lush, tranquil multilevel courtyard gardens are a contemplative focal point for Jardim’s 36 one- to four-bedroom residences. Designed by Weinfeld in collaboration with Future Green Studio, the cutting-edge New York-based landscape architecture firm, Jardim’s private gardens are about more than just views. With broad floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious terraces integrated with indoor living areas, Jardim’s residences embrace both luxury and nature in the heart of West Chelsea

The Pine Haven, a home designed for modern day living. This unique Craftsman style home with its open concept, loft room with Juliet balcony and timber framed porches exemplifies family living and entertaining as if at your own private resort. The great room and kitchen combination is a great gathering space for family and friends. The distressed, hand scraped flooring and floor to ceiling stone fireplace which walks out to an exposed timber beam covered porch makes one feel that they’re on a retreat vacation all year round! The chef’s kitchen has a walk-in pantry, abundance of alder custom cabinets and countertop workspace. Families can choose to eat at the ten person oversized arched island or the private dining space with a walk-through butler service area with wet bar. The master bedroom has a walk-in, oversized tile shower with dual showerheads and one rain head, plus whirlpool tub, dressing area and two walk-in closets. What truly sets the Pine Haven apart are the two-2 ½ car garages in the front of the home plus a third garage featuring the Spancrete Replenish product located in the back of the home in the lower level - a handyman’s dream. A convenient staircase from the upper garage makes accessing the lower level of the home a breeze. Some notable features of the Pine Haven are; front and back timber beam porches; Andersen Windows; a floor to ceiling stone fireplace with a custom oversize mantle; shaker-style maple 5 ½” base and header; 3 ½” casing with stained shaker-style doors; custom, distressed alder cabinets; hand carved random width hickory wood and tile floors throughout. The option of finishing the exposed lower level could include a fifth bedroom, bathroom, bar area, theater room, hobby areas or additional living space to meet your individual needs. Woodhaven Homes is a family owned business using high quality contractors. We have been awarded the #1 Builder Rating for Customer Satisfaction by Milwaukee Magazine. Woodhaven Homes will gladly customize its designs to make your dream home uniquely yours.

With private space at a premium in relatively narrow rowhomes, our client in Bolton Hill made the decision to transform their home’s third floor one-bedroom apartment into a private master ensuite retreat. Rustic elements including rough-hewn floating wood shelves, a cleverly- exposed distressed support stud, and dark rubbed bronze hardware on plumbing and lighting fixtures, storage hooks and built-in cabinets marry seamlessly with classic features such as fluted window casings with bullseye rosettes, oversized baseboards capped with coved base cap trim and 4-panel solid wood pockets doors. Perched on the black hexagon tile floor punctuated by white grout that picks up on the room’s light palettes, the gorgeous hammered copper soaking tub and uber-sleek Scandinavian style teak double vanity stand out as the biggest stars of this master bath build out.

Minutes from beaches, shopping and schools, Majestic Oaks at Ocean City offers the intimacy of a private community with all the amenities of a larger development. The planned community of 40 luxurious homes is tucked away just off Racetrack Road, with groceries, gas, pharmacies and medical centers less than five minutes away. It’s also within a quick commute of the area’s major military bases, including Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field and Seventh Special Forces Group (Airborne). Enjoy everything the Emerald Coast has to offer from recreation to premium shopping and then take a short drive to Majestic Oaks, where you will find everything you need to make a house your home.

Eagerly awaiting retirement, a New England-based client acquired a property in a former office building in central Lisbon. Artfully refurbished by Frederico Valsassina Arquitectos, the façade is composed of geometric strata of medium-gray panels alternating with weathered vertical staves. Our studio’s brief was to furnish and equip the interior of the vacation home to converse with the architecture, so family and friends visiting Lisbon would stay in an elegant, private setting, filled with locally-made and designer items. Upon entering, a small shelf and mirror function as a welcome valet. The corridor opens to a cozy living room with lambent afternoon light let in by large sliding doors. Just outside, the balcony sports a café table and chairs set for an aperitivo. An enveloping sofa, produced in Portugal, and an organic recliner, create an intimate lounge area facing a classic, modular media cabinet. An artisan-made wool ottoman adds a beat of color; the lights speak in plump opaline glass and thin black metal rods. The glass top of the dining table fades into the space, leaving its sculptural, marine blue base; in a play of textures, the upholstery of the dining chairs coordinates elegantly with the smoked glass. Tile, oak, and stainless steel come together in a custom kitchen island, with additional counter space and convenient storage. As the interior is replete with oiled oak in the floors, baseboards, doors, and cabinetry, matching wood furniture warms the bedrooms. The vertical spindles of the beds recall the pattern of the exterior façade. Laptop work is accommodated by a small console desk with a chair clothed in burgundy. Acorn-shaped pendants, inviting bed linens and rugs, and undulating curtains, all in the warm white of the walls, form a nest for relaxation.

This project successfully reclaims a beautiful Tribeca loft space from the dysfunctional layout and dated decor of previous renovations. The project’s main goal was to establish a stronger division between the public and private areas of the apartment by switching the locations of the kitchen and bedroom. By moving the master bedroom adjacent to the existing bathroom and adding a new powder room off the kitchen, the new layout allows for a much stronger delineation between private and public functions. The new bedroom area features new closets, a separate nursery room, and custom walnut headboard shelves. A new operable translucent-panel wall gives privacy to the bedroom, while maintaining a loft-like feel. The adjoining bathroom was renovated to restore the original high ceilings and provide for a new tub, shower stall and walnut vanity. The new kitchen includes custom walnut cabinets, a single-piece Pietra Cardosa countertop island, a walk-in pantry with separate laundry room closet, and new designer fixtures and appliances.

With private space at a premium in relatively narrow rowhomes, our client in Bolton Hill made the decision to transform their home’s third floor one-bedroom apartment into a private master ensuite retreat. Rustic elements including rough-hewn floating wood shelves, a cleverly- exposed distressed support stud, and dark rubbed bronze hardware on plumbing and lighting fixtures, storage hooks and built-in cabinets marry seamlessly with classic features such as fluted window casings with bullseye rosettes, oversized baseboards capped with coved base cap trim and 4-panel solid wood pockets doors. Perched on the black hexagon tile floor punctuated by white grout that picks up on the room’s light palettes, the gorgeous hammered copper soaking tub and uber-sleek Scandinavian style teak double vanity stand out as the biggest stars of this master bath build out.

Based on one of our most popular floor plans, the Charleston II by Schumacher Homes offers expanded square footage, clever storage solutions, and effortless daily functionality. At the heart of the home is a chef-inspired custom kitchen featuring expansive counter space, a large center island for gathering, and double-stacked kitchen cabinets for maximized storage. For seamless hosting, a connected messy kitchen and giant walk-in pantry keep prep, clutter, and dishes out of sight from the main living area. A dedicated pocket office provides the ideal flex space to work, organize, or manage daily tasks before leading into the private owner's retreat. Here, you'll find a primary bedroom with dual walk-in closets and a spa-inspired owner's bath complete with a sleek glass shower and a luxurious soaking tub. On the opposite side of the home, additional bedrooms provide private, comfortable spaces for family or guests. Designed with thoughtful layout flow and premium custom details, the Charleston II by Schumacher Homes delivers a harmonious balance of luxury, practicality, and modern living.

A catalyst for improving overall health and wellness, 4639 Gorham Drive is pioneering research-based wellness innovations with health, sleep and joy. This residence will be the first in Orange County to actualize the Darwin™ Premier Wellness Ecosystem for residences, by Delos™. Designed to enhance energy, sleep, and well-being while reducing harmful indoor contaminants; this ecosystem brings together a sensor monitoring platform and solutions across air filtration, water purification, circadian lighting, and comfort features. A thoughtful and strategic collaboration among Luxury Home Builder, Cooper-Marsh Homes, renowned architect, Geoff Sumich Design, Michael Fullen Interior Design, VALIA Development Consulting, with a residential wellness intelligence platform by Delos™, producing an innovative, prescient residence. Unfolding with distinct drama, experience a private courtyard with a grand yet gently flowing two-story verdant living wall. Circulating light harmonizes with permeable architecture, adjoining the meticulously finished autonomous guest casita/office, adjacent to the main level of the residence. With a delicate balance of sophistication and function, the living areas indulge in space, unfolding to fluid textures of the infinity pool and on to the Pacific Ocean. Embrace Catalina Island hovering in the distance from the private master suite warmed with a limestone and walnut fireplace. Just beyond the artfully crafted juxtaposed bookcase are two additional main level bedroom suites. Descending to the lower level by means of the circular helix staircase, a sanctuary of light filters throughout the day.

This 2-story home with first-floor owner’s suite includes a 3-car garage and an inviting front porch. A dramatic 2-story ceiling welcomes you into the foyer where hardwood flooring extends throughout the main living areas of the home including the dining room, great room, kitchen, and breakfast area. The foyer is flanked by the study to the right and the formal dining room with stylish coffered ceiling and craftsman style wainscoting to the left. The spacious great room with 2-story ceiling includes a cozy gas fireplace with custom tile surround. Adjacent to the great room is the kitchen and breakfast area. The kitchen is well-appointed with Cambria quartz countertops with tile backsplash, attractive cabinetry and a large pantry. The sunny breakfast area provides access to the patio and backyard. The owner’s suite with includes a private bathroom with 6’ tile shower with a fiberglass base, free standing tub, and an expansive closet. The 2nd floor includes a loft, 2 additional bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms.

Resting upon a 120-acre rural hillside, this 17,500 square-foot residence has unencumbered mountain views to the east, south and west. The exterior design palette for the public side is a more formal Tudor style of architecture, including intricate brick detailing; while the materials for the private side tend toward a more casual mountain-home style of architecture with a natural stone base and hand-cut wood siding. Primary living spaces and the master bedroom suite, are located on the main level, with guest accommodations on the upper floor of the main house and upper floor of the garage. The interior material palette was carefully chosen to match the stunning collection of antique furniture and artifacts, gathered from around the country. From the elegant kitchen to the cozy screened porch, this residence captures the beauty of the White Mountains and embodies classic New Hampshire living. Photographer: Joseph St. Pierre

THIS WAS A PLAN DESIGN & INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT. The Aiken Hunt is a perfect home for a family with many family members. This home was designed for a family who has out of town guests often, and they needed a lot of space to spread out when everyone comes to town for holidays and gatherings. This home meets the demand. An open concept in the informal areas allows the family to be together when they want to, and separated formal rooms handle the task of formality when entertaining as such. Two Bedroom Suites with private baths, and one addition bedroom with hall bath access and a private Study (plus additional Bonus Room space) are on the second floor. The first floor accommodates a Two Story Foyer, Two Story Living Room, high ceiling Family Room, elaborate Kitchen with eat-in Informal Dining Space, Formal Dining, large Walk-in Closet in the Foyer, Laundry Room, 2 staircases, Master Suite with Sitting Area and a luxury Master Bathroom are all spacious yet, do not waste space. A great house all around.

Minutes from beaches, shopping and schools, Majestic Oaks at Ocean City offers the intimacy of a private community with all the amenities of a larger development. The planned community of 40 luxurious homes is tucked away just off Racetrack Road, with groceries, gas, pharmacies and medical centers less than five minutes away. It’s also within a quick commute of the area’s major military bases, including Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field and Seventh Special Forces Group (Airborne). Enjoy everything the Emerald Coast has to offer from recreation to premium shopping and then take a short drive to Majestic Oaks, where you will find everything you need to make a house your home.

Built for the Bluff, A Sea Ranch Home is Remade from the Inside Out The house had always been grounded, on an ocean bluff at The Sea Ranch. It sits unencumbered, adjacent to one of the most dramatic stretches of the Sonoma coast with protected commons meadow to the east, uninterrupted Pacific views to the west, and a bluff trail running alongside. What it lacked was the feeling of home, one that could hold up its own against the natural landscape. The owners are entrepreneurs with deep involvement across tech, real estate, and development and they know how things are built. The Sea Ranch house had been in their lives for years, a second residence and a place for family to gather. Built for a different time, it felt more compromising than comfortable. Sitting in a closed off nook, the kitchen fit one cook at a time and turned its back on the rest of the house. The entry was dim and compressed, divided by a structural column that presented itself at exactly the wrong moment. The primary suite was small relative to the view outside it. A large rear bedroom sat behind a lowered ceiling with a bathroom that had never been added. The house was certainly worth the trouble of doing it right. What followed was not one project but four, each with its own design challenge, each addressed over a period of time. Where the House Meets the Ocean The most complex piece of the project, in both structural and spatial terms, was the kitchen expansion. The existing room was a single-person galley squeezed in as an afterthought with no meaningful connection to the dining room, the living space, or the deck outside. To make it useful for a family that cooks and gathers, it needed to grow outward into an existing patio and flow into the rooms around it. A big challenge was the roofline. Several planes at different pitches and angles converged directly where additional volume was needed. A new form had to join that geometry without reading as a correction. The solution found the simplest possible connection between the existing angles, a roofline that from outside the structure, appears entirely original. From the bluff trail where the addition is visible, there is no discernible seam. Inside, the kitchen is now open to the living and dining rooms without interruption. A large sliding glass door connects the space onto the rear deck. The deck itself was expanded and oriented so that the body of the house shields it from the coastal wind which is a common consideration that determines whether outdoor space at The Sea Ranch actually gets used. The result is a room that works for large family gatherings where no one feels cutoff, and one that makes the boundary between being inside and outside easy to ignore. Welcoming Light A structural column stood at the convergence of eight distinct roof planes in the entry. It was load-bearing, but it was also the reason the entry had always felt like a hallway rather than a welcoming arrival. With the structural engineer, a custom steel connector was designed to receive beams from six separate directions, redistributing the load through a single new continuous beam. The column was surgically removed. Three triangular skylights were then cut into the roof above, their shapes drawn from the existing geometry of the planes around them. The entry is now bright and open. The skylights feel native to the structure because they follow the logic already present in the roof. Two Suites, Two Views At opposite ends of the house, the two bedroom suites were each reconfigured, and each found a different way to introduce more of the landscape into the room. An addition to the primary suite extended the structure outward to create a wraparound plan with a loop from the bedroom through bath and closet that had not been possible before. The expansion opened a slot view from the tub and shower toward the ocean. The view is precise and private. The ocean view is present and deliberate. The rear bedroom absorbed an adjacent storage room to transform it into a full second suite with a vaulted ceiling, a large bathroom with a tub, a shower, and a sauna. A private fenced garden courtyard sits just beyond the glass bringing the outdoors inside. The tub was placed so that, looking past the courtyard and through the bedroom beyond, the ocean is visible at the far end. It is a long view and it makes the room feel larger and more settled than its footprint would suggest. Glass on Four Sides, Fire at the Center The main living and gathering room had always been caught between two competing facts: glass on four sides meant exceptional views but at The Sea Ranch, it also meant a cold room. A 360-degree cylindrical fireplace was added at the center on a raised stone base, providing radiant heat in every direction and giving the room a focal point around which a group naturally orients itself, whether that means two people at the end of the day or the whole family after dinner. Owners Who Picked Up the Tools The owner was not a passive client. they came with construction knowledge, specific ideas, and the desire to be an active part of the process, a dynamic that other architects may had found difficult, which Klopf Architecture accepted as an asset. They took it upon themselves to complete some of the work during construction, including the installation of a new radiant heating system beneath the floors. The radiant system added to the older and less-desirable forced-air setup. At The Sea Ranch, that change matters as the house sits close enough to the ocean and moving air competes with the sound of it, where radiant heat does not. Solar panels were added to the roof as part of the new system. Insulation was upgraded throughout the walls, roof, and crawl space. The house that had always had the right setting now holds warmth the way a house on the bluff should. They were also deeply involved in the design and selections throughout, and the finished house reflects both of them in ways that are specific rather than generic. The process took longer and moved through more iterations than a more arms-length relationship might have allowed. The result is more defined and personal because of it. The Landscape Holds Priority Every exterior decision was shaped by The Sea Ranch Design Standards, which require that buildings defer to the landscape around them rather than compete with it. Because this house sits on the bluff and is visible from the public trail, the additions faced a close review. Existing materials were matched. Geometries were resolved. The additions had to become indistinguishable from the original building. From the trail, the house reads exactly as it always has — low, cedar-clad, secondary to the meadow and the water. The setting holds priority. Inside, the house has been remade. Klopf Architecture Project Team: Geoff Campen and Trenton Jewett
Contractor: Shawn Bettega Construction
Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2023
Location: The Sea Ranch, CA