Small, flexible home with a large presence

With a generous program and a limited allowable footprint, the property owners challenged Studio Vara to create a small, flexible home with a large presence.

With a generous program and a limited allowable architecture, building, estate, facade, home, house, interior design, landscape, property, real estate, residential area, room, sunlight, tree, white, brown

In the front yard of this home by apartment, architecture, building, courtyard, design, estate, facade, home, house, interior design, landscape, property, real estate, residential area, roof, room, tree, window, yard, white, brown

A series of metal and wood sunshades, screens, architecture, backyard, building, courtyard, design, facade, furniture, home, house, interior design, landscape, landscaping, natural landscape, property, real estate, residential area, roof, room, siding, wall, window, wood, yard

Layers of planting in the front yard of architecture, building, design, estate, facade, grass, home, house, interior design, landscape, landscaping, property, real estate, residential area, roof, room, tree, villa, window, white, brown

Light pours in from a skylight and a architecture, building, ceiling, daylighting, design, floor, flooring, hall, handrail, hardwood, home, house, interior design, line, material property, property, real estate, room, space, stairs, wall, wood, white

The level of detail and ornament lend a architecture, building, ceiling, home, house, interior design, property, real estate, room, wood, black, orange

For this indoor-outdoor home, the belt of high architecture, backyard, building, courtyard, deck, design, estate, facade, furniture, hardwood, home, house, interior design, landscape, landscaping, property, real estate, residential area, resort, roof, room, tree, wood, wood stain, white

Around the perimeter of this home's courtyard, three architecture, backyard, building, cottage, deck, design, estate, facade, farmhouse, home, house, interior design, land lot, landscaping, property, real estate, residential area, roof, room, siding, tree, villa, window, wood, white

The ground floor of this home is carved architecture, backyard, building, courtyard, deck, design, furniture, home, house, interior design, landscaping, patio, pergola, porch, property, real estate, roof, room, shade, yard, brown

This three-storey stair separates the entertaining spaces from architecture, building, ceiling, floor, flooring, handrail, home, house, interior design, lobby, property, real estate, room, stairs, brown, white

The central stair of this home is the architecture, building, ceiling, design, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, house, houseplant, interior design, living room, room, stairs, wall, wood, white, brown

Only a tell-tale latch acknowledges the presence of architecture, door, floor, flooring, furniture, glass, handrail, interior design, iron, line, metal, room, stairs, wood, orange, white

Designed by Studio Vara

From the architect:

A young couple approached Studio VARA to design a new ground-up residence for their busy family of five on a prominent yet petite corner lot in Old Palo Alto.

With a generous program and a limited allowable footprint, they challenged the designers to create a small, flexible home with a large presence.

"To solve this puzzle, we conceived of the house as a Rubik’s Cube of tightly interlocking spaces that expand outward into a landscape of intimate yet generous outdoor rooms."

To break up the massing and achieve lightness within a compact, rectilinear envelope, they used distinct materials to articulate three stacked volumes that shift and recede from sight as they move up: concrete for the basement, wood at the main level, and dark zinc for the top floor.

The main level is lifted slightly above grade, allowing deep light wells to penetrate underground and provide light and air to a full basement.

Carefully considered window placement adds ornament and rhythm to the façade.

Texture, colour, and furnishings are meticulously layered piece architecture, building, ceiling, chair, couch, daylighting, door, floor, furniture, hardwood, home, house, interior design, living room, property, real estate, room, shade, window, window blind, window covering, window treatment, wood, brown — Texture, colour, and furnishings are meticulously layered piece by piece to ensure they fit seamlessly in this home by Studio Vara.

Inside, sumptuous materials and sophisticated detailing make the home feel large and luxurious.

Uninterrupted floor-to-ceiling glass walls allow the outdoors and daylight to penetrate the house and maximise sightlines to achieve a feeling of spaciousness.

Elegant, carefully considered cabinetry and built-ins in the kitchen and entertaining areas on the main level ensure that the open plan does not feel loft-like.

A sculptural steel stair set against a continuous stone-slab wall anchors the entire house and unifies the three levels.

Upstairs, the master suite and bedrooms are strategically organised to ensure privacy and views outside.

Studio VARA provided a full range of services to weave the architecture, interiors, furnishings, and landscape into a seamless, integrated whole.

Credit list

Architect and interior designer

Studio Vara

Contractor

Von Clemm Construction

Lighting designer

Tucci Lighting

Location

Palo Alto, CA

Structural engineer

FTF Engineering

Audio/Visual

Adaptive System

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Matthew Millman Photography

17 Aug, 2019

New Home

Trendsideas

Home kitchen bathroom commercial design