Embrace the Outdoors

An unsightly patio on a challenging slope becomes a haven for alfresco entertaining

ON WARM SUMMER EVENINGS, as the sounds of outdoor concerts drift up from the Hollywood Bowl, Stephen Matt sits on his deck and savors his slice of paradise. The setting includes some of the best elements Los Angeles has to offer: a perch high up in the hills, views of Griffith Observatory and distant downtown lights, and a home that seamlessly merges indoors and out. "I wanted to live in a place that took full advantage of the California weather," Matt says.

On a midcentury design tour of the Hollywood Hills, he stumbled upon a gem: a 1954 house by architect Pierre Koenig, who built some of the most iconic modern residences in Southern California. Lowslung and unassuming from the street, the i,8so-square-foot home had a V-shaped layout that unfolded toward a dramatic 180 panorama of L.A.

Yet the house didn't deliver on its location. "It was dark inside- you couldn't feel the connection to the outdoors," Matt recalls. "There was wall-to-wall shag carpet, lots of 1950s built-ins, and an entry hall with floor-to-ceiling mirrors."

The biggest eyesore, however, was the patched-together back patio that wrapped around the hillside. A curb had been added to control erosion; beyond it, the steep slope simply dropped away, rendering much of the half-acre lot unusable. "There was mismatched cement and cracks everywhere. It was embarrassing-kind of a dump, actually," Matt says. Revamping the outdoor space became his first priority.

Deck with distinct living spaces

Landscape architects Amy Korn and Matt Randolph took one look at the so-called "Frankenstein backyard" and knew immediately that they had to build a deck. 'There was no comfortable hangout space without falling off into the view," Korn says. Connecting the two wings of the home with a deck also made for pleasing geometry. "The flow of the house had a shotgun feel, so we wanted to create more possibilities for movement throughout," Randolph explains.

Built of Mangaris-a dark, eco-friendly hardwood also known as red balau-the new deck spans the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom, expanding Mtt's usable outdoor space from 120 square feet to almost 900. Triple and quadruple sliding glass doors on two sides of the living room bring in the view and create an easy transition between indoors and out.

A cluster of low teak sofas and cementtopped tables on the deck forms a central outdoor lounge. "During parties, this is where I serve cocktails before dinner," Mtt says. "Mixing up the furniture lets guests group themselves however they want." To the left of the lounge is a dining area used for alfresco summer meals.

To the right of the lounge, the landscape architects created another distinct outdoor space: a sheltered garden nook that gives Matt a place to sit and read the Sunday paper. A handsome custom trough of heavy Pennsylvania bluestone serves as both a water feature and a hearth.

Inside, a palette of pale blues, grays, and greens links to the colors of the landscape and sky. 'The house gets extremely hot in the summer, so I wanted a look that was cool but not cold," Matt says. Removing the wall of mirrors by the entry opened the view all the way to the front door.

Over the original concrete floors, Matt poured a pale gray epoxy (used in highend auto showrooms) that shimmers and reflects the light from outdoors. "It's super-durable, gives off a great sheen, and was really cheap-about $2 a square foot," he says.

The four-year remodel was not without its hairy moments (strapping a crane to the side of the house to drill deck foundations into the hill; incurring the wrath of neighbors as tree- moving equipment blocked the morning commute). But it's a project Matt would gladly do all over again. "Coming home gives me a sense of relief," he says. 'There are many days, like today, when I don't even need to leave the house."

INFO Landscape architecture: Amy Korn and Matt Randolph, KornRandolph, Pasadena, CA (www.kornrandolph.com or 626/564-0259). Resources: See page 162.

Before dusk, Stephen Matt (center) and friends enjoy the sheltered outdoor living room just off the deck. The horizontal wood fencing, 1-by-2 planks of Mangaris with -inch spaces in between, creates a privacy screen from neighbors while preserving the property's 'sense of openness.

FROM LEFT The master bedroom, which opens onto the deck, echoes the gray-green hues outdoors with wall paint and Flor carpet tiles; the guest bath brings coot blues into the palette.

ABOVE The former back patio was a disjointed affair of poured concrete laid out in an arc around the home. OPPOSITE The expansive new deck "created views we didn't even know were there," says Amy Korn. The outdoor lounge adds a primary entertaining space between the living room and master bedroom.

"During parties, this is where I serve cocktails before dinner ... guests group themselves however they want"

In the living room, highgloss epoxy floors and polycarbonate dining chairs create a feeling of weightlessness. The plan (below) shows how the new deck bridges the home's V-shaped layout.

Lessons from this remodel

Adding usable outdoor space makes the home fit Stephen Mtt's lifestyle while staying true to Pierre Koenig's design. Clockwise from top:

PRESERVE THE VIEW

The deck railing components-minimalist stainless steel cables (originally designed for ships' rails) and parallel 2-by-4s instead of traditional 4-by-4 posts-were selected for less visual interruption.

LINK OLD AND NEW ELEMENTS: The kitchen's existing walnut cabinetry looks fresh again with new handles, a gray stain, and a new island that mimics the original cabinet design.

ADD A CONVERSATION PIECE For a dramatic effect, "we combined a water feature with a firepit," says landscape architect Matt Randolph. When turned on, water cascades over the top of the trough into a concrete basin underneath the gravel; stainless steel nozzles emit gas flames above the water's surface.

Copyright Sunset Publishing Corporation May 2007

(c) 2007 Sunset. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.