Thunderbird 8

The goal for this mid-century home was to exploit the best features of the property, taking advantage of views, the dramatic light, the potential for an incredible indoor-outdoor experience and the mid-century bones of the house. When we first visited the property, I was struck by the potential for a beautiful mountain view that was currently cut off by a low ceiling height in the main living area. Raising the roof of the main living area became the largest gesture in our scope of work. The former chopped-up side entry and tiny kitchen were combined to make a long, generous kitchen and built-in banquette. The original rhombus-shaped pool was kept, restored and lined with Ann Sacks tiles. In the center of the action, we conceived a large floating desk surface suspended from a black metal screen to define the space and allow filtered light and views to pass between. The clients were drawn to clean lines, pared-down details and highly disciplined palettes of white, grey and matte black. We generally opted for deep, muted colors balanced with crisp white, adding textures to create patterns with the shifting daylight throughout the house. This soothing collection of finishes playing with light and shadow would achieve a peaceful and elegant home that would stand the test of time and honor the landscape of the surrounding area. ​ Photography: Douglas Friedman