The traditional barn meets mid-century modern.
Art Barn
Manhattan Beach
The owner of this 1980s Manhattan Beach family home sought to improve flow, maximize entertaining areas, and showcase a growing art collection. By removing the rear section and introducing a new building envelope open to sunlight and ocean breezes, the house was given a new breath of life.
The design brief saw this light-filled space crafted with rustic and custom industrial materials and details, crowned by an asymmetric roof of corrugated metal. Douglas Fir beams and knotty cedar boards enclose the barn-like space, unfolding to become the kitchen wall to the west. To the east, the roof floats over a hand-troweled plaster wall which seamlessly links the living room and landscaped garden.
IN THE DETAILS
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The design team collaborated with local craftspeople to produce the custom metal and wood elements that define the space. Open kitchen shelves between wood posts display a glass and ceramics collection concealed by vintage pebbled glass in sliding steel frames.
Other warm accents include walnut cabinets, a Douglas Fir end-grain wood floor and a distressed wood island topped with a custom polished pebble terrazzo countertop inspired by a trip to California’s Central Coast. The client’s growing art collection is given prominence on a movable steel track, allowing the television to be discreetly hidden when needed. -
This modern form of the newly created dramatic spaces introduced a new sense of identity to the existing traditional home. The space between the existing building and the new space was widened with a tall walnut cabinet box, demarcating the shift from old to new and traditional to modern.
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A frameless glass corner with oversized Douglas Fir barn doors connects the indoor spaces with a new patio. Wide concrete steps from the patio terrace down to a dining area in the garden below are integrated with planting and a built-in wood bench. The steps create a natural hang-out area while addressing a significant grade change between the patio and the backyard.
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The striking asymmetric roofline design takes full advantage of Southern California’s temperate beach climate. West-facing clerestory windows draw natural daylight deeper into the space and capture ocean breezes, negating the need for air-conditioning while maintaining privacy on the narrow beach lot. Deep overhangs also protect the north-west-facing glass façade from heat gain.
RECOGNITION
2019 AIA Long Beach / South Bay Design Awards – Merit
2017 AIA-LA Residential Awards – Honor
CREDITS
PhotographyEric Staudenmaier
ContractorWilliam Kent Development Inc.
CivilBarbara Hall Inc.
GeotechnicalRalph Stone & Co Inc.
LandscapeEden Condensed Garden Design
StructuralCW Howe & Partners Inc.
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