I would be happy to provide a simple plan.

Grandma’s couch still interests me. I actually find this particular Wormley design quite timeless. I concede that the sofas in the shots could use a bit of work.

The underfloor area of the house is just structure at the moment but will likely include some living space in the future.

The tile is the same inside and out.

It might be expected that I would agree with the comment about the stairs. The closed entry stair really pushes the focus to the immediate landscape and not the long views that the house enjoys.

I can’t speak for other architects but can tell you why I often use inexpensive light fixtures. For this house in particular the ceiling plane was a major element by itself so I felt that anything hanging down from the ceiling would be a mistake. I guess I’m just not sold on high end cans, so we used regular cans and made custom steel trims so that the wood could finish into something. I know that this looks like a high end project and in many ways it is, but many clients/projects don’t have the money left at the end of a project to spend 25-75K on lighting for their house. I think that the same thing happens with furniture, especially on ‘first houses’ where people tend to put everything they have into the house.

Hence Grandma’s couch.

I do appreciate the dialogue. Thank you all.

The mid-century modern furnishings selected do expose why some designs become classics and others are just period pieces. Harry Bertoia’s side chairs for example have become timeless classics while the Dunbar sofas do just look like something your grandmother might have owned (if she were hip and trendy in the 50′s).

Plans would have been nice, but I can understand their not always being provided. I do have a couple of questions though. How is the lower level used? Is that the same tile used on the exterior of the bathroom as the interior?

The house is in a high fire area and is constructed of all non-combustible structural materials, and mostly non-combustible finish materials also.

The wood on the ceiling is backed with a layer of gypsum sheathing over steel framing and thus exceeds the code in terms of combustibility. For me it adds warmth and a handmade quality to the house.

Most of the other houses in the area, however expensively finished they might be, are wood frames covered with a layer of stucco, and far more combustible than this one.

The green tiles are from Heath Ceramics and respond to the green of the chaparral and the blue of the sky and water. Color is obviously a quite personal choice.

The grandma couch was designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Depending on your age it could easily have been your grandmas.

The bed is anchored somewhat by the builtins behind it and a small headboard, but does float in the room. As the house has complete privacy from the exterior, and is occupied by just a couple, the idea was to place the bed amidst the mountains. This might indeed be uncomfortable for some, but the current users love it.

The intent of the house was to not interfere with the views any more than was necessary. Its materials are in fact a bit rough and handmade, intentionally so. Again this might be off-putting to some and quite appropriate to others.

This is an exceptional project in the spirit of Craig Ellwood’s best case-study houses. Kudos for demonstrating the relevance and appropriateness of good architecture will always trump the shiny, flashy, McModernist aesthetic.