Building your own home comes with the rare opportunity to create something that reflects the way you truly want to live. In Silicon Valley, California, that opportunity brought together contractor Sergio and Mahya Salehi Studio, to create a home inspired by architectural traditions that have existed for centuries.
Replacing a worn 1958 tract house, the project transforms a compact 55-by-55-foot site into a bright family home centered around an open-air courtyard. Influenced by Iranian courtyard architecture and memories of Mexican haciendas, the design blends cultural history with contemporary California living while preserving the property’s mature redwood tree.
A House Designed Around an Open-Air Courtyard
Every major decision begins with the courtyard. Positioned at the center of the plan, it brings daylight and fresh air into the middle of the home while creating an outdoor room that can be enjoyed throughout the day.
Looking through the front door, the eye travels across the courtyard, through the living room, and toward the backyard beyond. This uninterrupted view creates an immediate sense of openness while still maintaining privacy from the street.
Design constraints also influenced the home’s distinctive form. Local limits on the second floor encouraged the upper level to split into two separate wings. Above, a butterfly roof ties the composition together, aligning with the front roofline to create one clean architectural expression while allowing generous window heights throughout the home.
A Living Room Framed by Nature
At the back of the home, the living room opens toward the preserved redwood tree, turning one of the property’s oldest features into its most striking view. A full wall of glazing fills the space with natural light while maintaining a strong visual connection to the backyard.
The room also benefits from its double-height ceiling, making it feel bright and spacious despite the home’s compact footprint. Above, the butterfly roof helps shape the volume, softening the scale while drawing the eye upward.
A Backyard Deck Made for Outdoor Living
Extending from the living spaces, the backyard deck creates a natural place to enjoy California’s mild climate. Large sliding glass doors blur the line between indoors and outdoors, making it easy to move from the living room to an outdoor dining area and lounge area that sits beneath the generous roof overhang.
The warm timber decking echoes the home’s palette of wood and stone, while the broad overhang provides welcome shade throughout the day. Surrounded by the mature redwood and established trees, the deck feels private without enclosing the garden, offering an inviting setting for family meals.
Flexible Spaces for Family and Work
The home includes two additional living spaces that make it easy to accommodate changing family needs. A junior accessory dwelling unit provides room for extended family, while a detached accessory dwelling unit offers even more flexibility.
The detached building also serves as Sergio’s office, giving him a dedicated workspace without leaving home. These additions allow the property to adapt over time while supporting both family life and work.
A Kitchen That Balances Function and Style
Positioned between the dining and living areas, the kitchen is designed to keep every part of the home within easy reach. Its generous island serves as both a workspace and a casual gathering spot, making it just as suited to preparing meals as it is to hosting family and friends.
A restrained material palette gives the room a refined appearance. Rich dark timber cabinetry contrasts with the soft veining of natural stone, which wraps the island and continues across the backsplash to create a seamless focal point. Brass fixtures introduce subtle warmth, while integrated storage keeps the clean-lined design free from visual clutter.
Dining With More Space and Light
Tucked into a space by the kitchen, the dining room has a large corner window that draws in natural light from two directions, making the room feel airy while framing views of the front garden and surrounding landscape.
A round dining table encourages conversation and makes the most of the available space, while dark timber cabinetry includes built-in wine fridge, complementing the rich finishes used throughout the home. The recessed second floor also allows the dining room window to rise higher than a conventional layout would permit, introducing even more daylight and enhancing the sense of openness.
Upstairs Connections With Views Across the Home
The second floor divides into two separate wings linked by a breezeway overlooking the double-height living room below. This bridge-like connection also frames views toward the backyard and the preserved redwood tree.
A Playful Splash of Pink
While much of the home uses warm wood and refined stone finishes, the girls’ bedroom bathroom introduces an unexpected splash of personality. Pink Portuguese marble adds color and character, creating one of the home’s most memorable interior moments.
A Bedroom With Views Into the Trees
The primary bedroom is designed as a calm and light-filled space, where expansive windows frame views of the mature trees surrounding the property. From the bed, the greenery becomes the focal point, creating a peaceful outlook while drawing natural light deep into the room.
A Spa-Like Bathroom Framed by Stone and Light
The primary bathroom features dramatic veined stone that wraps the floor, shower, and bathtub surround, becoming the room’s defining feature, while crisp white walls and black fixtures provide striking contrast.
Twin stone vanities introduce sculptural form without overwhelming the space, complemented by floating timber cabinetry that adds warmth beneath the solid stone basins. At the end of the room, a freestanding bathtub sits beside a tall window overlooking the surrounding trees, allowing natural light to pour in while maintaining privacy, while a walk-in shower enclosed by a frameless glass screen preserves the room’s open feel.
Although the home embraces contemporary architecture, its strongest ideas come from traditions that have lasted for generations. By placing the courtyard at the center of family life, Mahya Salehi Studio created a house that feels open, private, and filled with natural light.