Houzz Tour: A Clean-lined, Airy Home With a Modest Footprint
A couple and an architect connect on Houzz to build a lean, green house that proves bigger isn’t always better
In Manhattan Beach, California, in a neighbourhood full of traditional-style mansions, a clean-lined, single-storey home sits modestly, with an entrance shrouded by trees. But its relatively small footprint is the expression of a big idea: a “right-size” house – one that fits your needs, lifestyle and budget – can feel roomy regardless of its dimensions and be environmentally sustainable, too. The key is smart design. In the case of this home, that’s where architect Anthony Laney came in.
In close collaboration with his clients, who found him on Houzz, Laney and his team at Hermosa Beach architectural firm, Laney LA, came up with a stylish, efficient home tailored to the family of four. Read on to learn what influenced the timeless yet contemporary design and how Laney made the house feel spacious and functional in just 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m).
In close collaboration with his clients, who found him on Houzz, Laney and his team at Hermosa Beach architectural firm, Laney LA, came up with a stylish, efficient home tailored to the family of four. Read on to learn what influenced the timeless yet contemporary design and how Laney made the house feel spacious and functional in just 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m).
As you can see in the previous image, the front door isn’t obvious from the street. The entrance is through a side gate on the left of the garage and down a path along the side garden setback. That path is seen here, facing back towards the driveway.
(Check out the site plan at the end of the story to get orientated.)
The home’s exterior is a combination of smooth white plaster and a heavily textured overgrow limestone, which means the grout covers a bit of the stone. That technique, Anthony explains, adds an old-world flair to the new home’s contemporary lines. “I love the ambiguity,” he says of the effect, which prompts passers-by to ask, “‘Is that an old home? Is that a new home? Is it a futuristic home? Is it an ancient home?”
In fact, the home is newly built on the modest plot, though it’s surrounded by mature vegetation that the team took great care to protect during construction.
(Check out the site plan at the end of the story to get orientated.)
The home’s exterior is a combination of smooth white plaster and a heavily textured overgrow limestone, which means the grout covers a bit of the stone. That technique, Anthony explains, adds an old-world flair to the new home’s contemporary lines. “I love the ambiguity,” he says of the effect, which prompts passers-by to ask, “‘Is that an old home? Is that a new home? Is it a futuristic home? Is it an ancient home?”
In fact, the home is newly built on the modest plot, though it’s surrounded by mature vegetation that the team took great care to protect during construction.
This entry foyer is at the end of the side path, at the intersection of the two gable-roof volumes. It has a glass stable door, visible in the foreground, in lieu of a traditional front door.
“It’s very unusual for a small house to dedicate an entire space to arrival,” Anthony admits, “but it’s all about pairing things that are big and generous with things that are more modest.” A large arched window helps create a sense of spaciousness the moment you walk through the door.
The design also negates the need for a long, wasteful interior hallway.
“It’s very unusual for a small house to dedicate an entire space to arrival,” Anthony admits, “but it’s all about pairing things that are big and generous with things that are more modest.” A large arched window helps create a sense of spaciousness the moment you walk through the door.
The design also negates the need for a long, wasteful interior hallway.
The back structure houses the public spaces, including the open-plan kitchen, dining and living room, pictured here.
You can see how the striking dual-gabled roofline translates to dramatic soaring ceilings inside. The ceilings are made of hemlock, whereas the floor is white oak.
The latter offers more than meets the eye – it keeps the home toasty through a wet underfloor heating system. Solar panels on the super-insulated, standing-seam metal roof heat water that’s then pumped through slim tubes in the floor. The system uses little energy, is noise- and dust-free and evenly distributes heat where people do their actual living. That makes it a green choice, especially for a home with high ceilings.
“If you’re walking barefoot, you actually feel the warmth through the wood floor. It’s far more efficient ,because you’re not heating this giant cathedral of air,” Anthony explains.
You can see how the striking dual-gabled roofline translates to dramatic soaring ceilings inside. The ceilings are made of hemlock, whereas the floor is white oak.
The latter offers more than meets the eye – it keeps the home toasty through a wet underfloor heating system. Solar panels on the super-insulated, standing-seam metal roof heat water that’s then pumped through slim tubes in the floor. The system uses little energy, is noise- and dust-free and evenly distributes heat where people do their actual living. That makes it a green choice, especially for a home with high ceilings.
“If you’re walking barefoot, you actually feel the warmth through the wood floor. It’s far more efficient ,because you’re not heating this giant cathedral of air,” Anthony explains.
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Speaking of efficiency, compared to a large, conventionally built home, fewer materials and resources are generally required to build and operate a small home, making the latter fundamentally more efficient. But Anthony and his team went above and beyond, integrating dozens of sustainable strategies into the house.
For example, the primary spaces in the home rely on natural daylight (using windows and other design features to bring light into a space) versus recessed lighting, and window blinds and deciduous trees reduce heat gain.
Here, above the door into the entry foyer, you can see a 2.5cm slot diffuser that’s part of an ERV (energy recovery ventilator) system, which Anthony calls the most radical part of the project. Instead of traditional air conditioning, the ERV dehumidifies the air and pulls fresh air from the outside and from the coolest areas of the home. The cool, fresh air spills out of the diffuser and falls down into the room. (More on the home’s sustainable systems later.)
For example, the primary spaces in the home rely on natural daylight (using windows and other design features to bring light into a space) versus recessed lighting, and window blinds and deciduous trees reduce heat gain.
Here, above the door into the entry foyer, you can see a 2.5cm slot diffuser that’s part of an ERV (energy recovery ventilator) system, which Anthony calls the most radical part of the project. Instead of traditional air conditioning, the ERV dehumidifies the air and pulls fresh air from the outside and from the coolest areas of the home. The cool, fresh air spills out of the diffuser and falls down into the room. (More on the home’s sustainable systems later.)
Here’s the opposite view of the room, which opens to the garden through two pairs of steel-framed French doors.
“Every other house, at least of my clients, would do a big sliding door or a folding door. They would, quote-unquote, connect the interior to the exterior,” Anthony says. “I love that this client was open to a more classic approach. I feel like it has that more timeless feel.”
Ceiling fans, like the one pictured here, provide air circulation throughout the public spaces.
“Every other house, at least of my clients, would do a big sliding door or a folding door. They would, quote-unquote, connect the interior to the exterior,” Anthony says. “I love that this client was open to a more classic approach. I feel like it has that more timeless feel.”
Ceiling fans, like the one pictured here, provide air circulation throughout the public spaces.
Led by Anthony and his wife, Krista, the Laney LA team did all of the project’s interior design as well. That said, the clients were in every design meeting and “steered the ship”, Anthony says. They brought the ideas for the steel-framed windows and doors, for example.
They also chose the splurge-worthy de Gournay wallpaper (in a design called Amazonia, hand-painted on Adams grey silk), which backs the bar nook seen here.
They also chose the splurge-worthy de Gournay wallpaper (in a design called Amazonia, hand-painted on Adams grey silk), which backs the bar nook seen here.
To make efficient use of the space, built-in storage and shelving were a large element of the interior design plan.
Laney LA custom-designed the breakfast nook’s three-legged table (made by Board & Block) to provide easy-access storage in the banquette. It’s screwed into the floor, so it’s removable but can’t tip.
Complemented by the outdoor dining space, the nook takes the place of a formal dining room.
Laney LA custom-designed the breakfast nook’s three-legged table (made by Board & Block) to provide easy-access storage in the banquette. It’s screwed into the floor, so it’s removable but can’t tip.
Complemented by the outdoor dining space, the nook takes the place of a formal dining room.
The black kitchen cabinets are made of a high-tech material called Fenix that’s super-matt, fingerprint- and scratch-resistant, and non-porous.
“It has this really strange, velvety feel,” says Anthony, who’s used it in several of his projects. “It’s great for kitchens.”
The vertical portion of the island is white oak and the worktop is Italian quartzite in swirly, expressive Explosion Blue.
“It has this really strange, velvety feel,” says Anthony, who’s used it in several of his projects. “It’s great for kitchens.”
The vertical portion of the island is white oak and the worktop is Italian quartzite in swirly, expressive Explosion Blue.
This little reading area in the corner across from the breakfast nook also contains hidden storage in its bench, as well as a wide white oak sill that functions as another shelf.
The window above that sill opens to the courtyard, which you can see again in this photo taken from the entry foyer.
The south-facing courtyard allows light to pour into the main dining space and into the primary bedroom, which is in the front, gable-roofed structure along with the other private spaces and the garage. A deciduous tree provides shade in the summer.
You can also see the primary bedroom’s open French doors on the right side of the courtyard.
The south-facing courtyard allows light to pour into the main dining space and into the primary bedroom, which is in the front, gable-roofed structure along with the other private spaces and the garage. A deciduous tree provides shade in the summer.
You can also see the primary bedroom’s open French doors on the right side of the courtyard.
Here’s a view from that bedroom into the solar courtyard. Click on the photo to zoom in and look closely at the beautiful black-and-white Portuguese cobblestone.
“We designed different patterns in each of the courtyards [in] a variety of geometric shapes,” Anthony says, explaining that they, as well as the overgrow limestone exterior walls, were inspired by the owners’ recent trip to Portugal.
Remote-controlled privacy and blackout roller blinds are visible above the French doors, and recessed roller blinds hide in the ceiling above the other windows.
“We designed different patterns in each of the courtyards [in] a variety of geometric shapes,” Anthony says, explaining that they, as well as the overgrow limestone exterior walls, were inspired by the owners’ recent trip to Portugal.
Remote-controlled privacy and blackout roller blinds are visible above the French doors, and recessed roller blinds hide in the ceiling above the other windows.
In contrast to the soothing palette of the primary bedroom, the en suite bathroom is a playful mix of colour and pattern.
The same de Gournay Amazonia wallpaper used in the bar nook covers the walls, and the herringbone-pattern floor is encaustic cement tile by Clé in Federal Blue.
The door opens into a small, private courtyard that’s protected by trees. If you look at the very first photo, you can see the low wall surrounding it to the right of the garage door.
The same de Gournay Amazonia wallpaper used in the bar nook covers the walls, and the herringbone-pattern floor is encaustic cement tile by Clé in Federal Blue.
The door opens into a small, private courtyard that’s protected by trees. If you look at the very first photo, you can see the low wall surrounding it to the right of the garage door.
Perhaps the most charming touch in the home is a full-height loft space in the kids’ room, which sits above a built-in wardrobe and staircase with integrated drawers. It’s big enough for a bed and, at its peak, is tall enough for an adult to stand.
Raw cedar shingles and interior shutters give it a fairy-tale feel. A second window with shutters peers into the entryway.
Not pictured here are the room’s built-in bunk bed and en suite bathroom.
Raw cedar shingles and interior shutters give it a fairy-tale feel. A second window with shutters peers into the entryway.
Not pictured here are the room’s built-in bunk bed and en suite bathroom.
The loft is the most whimsical space in the house, but the full-size lap pool is probably the most enviable.
“[The clients] asked pretty hesitantly, ‘Is it possible to have a lap pool?’” Anthony says. “That’s a big part of their daily ritual.” So while he’d never seen a lap pool in that neighbourhood, his answer was, “Absolutely. It’s a custom home. Anything is possible.”
The pool stretches from the entryway into the garden. During construction, locally sourced stone walls were painstakingly soft-stacked to protect the roots of the flowering camellias surrounding it.
Look back to the second photo and imagine turning 180 degrees. This would be your view.
“[The clients] asked pretty hesitantly, ‘Is it possible to have a lap pool?’” Anthony says. “That’s a big part of their daily ritual.” So while he’d never seen a lap pool in that neighbourhood, his answer was, “Absolutely. It’s a custom home. Anything is possible.”
The pool stretches from the entryway into the garden. During construction, locally sourced stone walls were painstakingly soft-stacked to protect the roots of the flowering camellias surrounding it.
Look back to the second photo and imagine turning 180 degrees. This would be your view.
In addition to being used for daily exercise, the pool is part of the home’s underfloor heating system.
Under the house, a heat exchange system – essentially a boiler – connects four systems: the pool pump, the underfloor heating, the solar hot water (from solar panels located on the south-facing slope of the gable roof) and the domestic hot water. So the pool supports the thermal mass for the radiant floors that heat the house, Anthony explains. Meanwhile, the ERV system, described earlier, keeps the home cool on warm days.
The green approach is in line with the firm’s manifesto: “To [spark] a dialogue between enduring architecture and its evolving environment.” But Anthony says that, compared with most other projects, this house has more ideas packed into every inch. He credits the construction team, Denton Developments, with not only embracing the more innovative ideas, but also with pushing his team’s and the clients’ shared vision even further.
“We found that the three-way partnership was what was special about this project,” he says. “Because our voice can be just a little bit lonely there.”
Under the house, a heat exchange system – essentially a boiler – connects four systems: the pool pump, the underfloor heating, the solar hot water (from solar panels located on the south-facing slope of the gable roof) and the domestic hot water. So the pool supports the thermal mass for the radiant floors that heat the house, Anthony explains. Meanwhile, the ERV system, described earlier, keeps the home cool on warm days.
The green approach is in line with the firm’s manifesto: “To [spark] a dialogue between enduring architecture and its evolving environment.” But Anthony says that, compared with most other projects, this house has more ideas packed into every inch. He credits the construction team, Denton Developments, with not only embracing the more innovative ideas, but also with pushing his team’s and the clients’ shared vision even further.
“We found that the three-way partnership was what was special about this project,” he says. “Because our voice can be just a little bit lonely there.”
The Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects clearly saw the project as special too: it recently bestowed it with a prestigious Honor Award.
Equally telling is the visceral reaction the space evokes. “So many people have walked through this house and gasped because they’re struck by something emotional,” Anthony says.
That’s the feeling of being in a home that’s “just right.”
Equally telling is the visceral reaction the space evokes. “So many people have walked through this house and gasped because they’re struck by something emotional,” Anthony says.
That’s the feeling of being in a home that’s “just right.”
The project’s floor plan.
Tell us…
What do you like about this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like about this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple and their two young children
Location Manhattan Beach, California, USA
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms; 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m)
Designer Anthony Laney of Laney LA
Contractor Kevin Lang of Denton Developments
Photos by Joe Fletcher
Bucking the local trend of “maxing out” a residential plot with as much square footage as allowed, the clients were interested in a sustainable, not-too-big, not-too-small home with a wild-feeling garden and a lap pool.
They were speaking Anthony’s language. “I think that there’s a growing appreciation and realisation that bigger is not always better,” he says. “I don’t think that means smaller is always better, but I’m such a fan of the conscientiousness that comes from really critiquing and asking what size is appropriate. Because a small space can feel generous, and a big space can feel awkward.”
Moreover, and perhaps counterintuitively, keeping the house small actually gave Anthony creative flexibility.
“We immediately realised that the size of the home they needed did not require more than one storey,” he says. It was an “aha” moment that meant that instead of being limited to 9ft-high, flat ceilings, they could create cathedral ceilings that defined the exterior identity of the architecture as well. Leveraging vertical space is the most efficient way to make a small house look and feel bigger, Anthony says.
After tinkering with 3D models, they landed on this 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m) design comprising two intersecting gable-roof structures.
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