palos verdes residence

With Jennifer Muhle Design

When this 1960s suburban tract home overlooking the ocean on the Palos Verdes peninsula was purchased by a music executive and his widely experienced designer spouse, they knew it had potential for expanded living space. The kitchen, dining, and living rooms were separated, their sloped ceilings bowed down 7 ½ feet at the view side. The adjacent patio was subservient to a high maintenance pool that they would never use.

The revision altered and expanded by 40% the living areas, creating one large 10-foot-high space centered on the existing double-sided fireplace. To enhance the connection to the exterior and the views of the ocean and nearby Catalina Island, two 9 ½-foot-high by 18-foot-wide sliding glass doors, fully retracting into the wall, were installed. The living space is expanded by yet another 60% by a pergola covered terrace with a cantilevered shade structure protecting the terrace and living space from the sun’s glare for most of the day.

The renovation also included upgrading of the structure to Section R337 WUI standards for wildfire resistance including non-combustible exterior finishes, tempered fiberglass windows, a Class A roof, WUI crawl space vents, and elimination of roof vents with new foamed-in-place attic insulation.