Karen House
ENCINO, CA

The house occupies a sloping site in Los Angeles with mature trees in front that shelter the house from the street.   Split concrete block walls conceal the steps to the entry, enclose the forecourt and flow through a sheet of glass that is wrapped around the base of the loft inspired entry hall.  Walls and ceilings are cut away to bring light into the heart of the house and to achieve a free flow of space.   Recessed down and up lights play off the textures of the walls and douglas fir studs that arch 20 feet over the central dining room.   In the back, an angular staircase of perforated steel emerges to link dining room and garden.   The garden and exterior spaces become a natural extension of the interior living spaces where large expanses of glass create a minimum physical and visual barrier, inviting nature into the interior spaces.

Photography:
Julius Shulman
Juergen Nogai