Small Space, Big Designs
Located in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Santa Monica, the Keslow Residence is a testament to the power of efficient space planning in a home. Built on a modest sized lot, we worked closely with the homeowner to give the type of amenities and elegance associated with larger residences, while working within the confines of a 50 x 100-foot parcel. The result is a design that utilizes overlapping volumes to create an organic flow of living spaces.
When entering, the homeowner and guests immediately experience a great room featuring a living room, dining room, and kitchen with 11-foot-tall ceiling heights and floor to ceiling glass sliding doors. This consolidated space creates a warm, social center to the home that reflects the homeowners active and jovial lifestyle. A modular shelving unit is built into the custom-designed stairwell screen using 1” x 2” steel tubes running from floor to ceiling. The walnut shelves may be arranged in different configurations to suit the client’s décor while adding a sense of ownership to the space.
A near-13-foot-wide island creates a clear division between the kitchen and the rest of the room while polished concrete flooring runs consistently throughout the space. Rough sawn walnut cabinetry on the island creates a stark color contrast and adds a warmth to the industrial material palette. Appliances are all integrated into cabinetry allowing the walnut and titanium metal cabinetry to extend uninterrupted.
Poured-in-place board-formed concreate walls carry throughout the home and help inform the industrial material palette found elsewhere. The staircase’s perforated metal guardrail consists of steel edged panels and a steel tube handrail that is welded directly to the panels. Natural daylight filters through the perforations creating a multi-faceted moire pattern. A series of in-wall step lights were installed within the poured-in-place concrete wall using special formwork provided by the manufacturer. These “ghost lights” provide a magical light source that seems to emanate from within the solid wall.
The four bathrooms and laundry room share uniting design elements while detailing gives each room its own identity based on function and user. The primary bathroom is equipped with a free-standing tub and marble walls in the spacious shower. A classic white tile backsplash continues into the children’s shower while maintaining a double sink vanity for simultaneous use. The sophisticated guest bathroom on the ground floor primarily functions as a powder room, and the downstairs bathroom has a shower allowing the basement level to function as a guest suite for extended family stays. The laundry room keeps the walnut cabinetry and white countertops while adding brushed stainless-steel hardware, a thin tile backsplash, and a playfully patterned tile floor.
