In the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles, architecture firm Hsu McCullough designed a new home for a young family after a planned renovation of their existing 1925 home revealed an unworkable structure. The totally new Moore Residence is designed to meet the family's every need while fitting in with the 1920s and 1930s homes found throughout the neighborhood.

The family sought a design that suggested California Mediterranean in terms of materials and colors. They also wanted several gathering spaces throughout the home—both indoors and out—that would accommodate the family of four.

The architects interpreted these requests and developed a white exterior with punched and horizontal windows, wood siding, wood decking, and black window frames. The material palette is simple, and natural light fills every room. In order to carve out enough room for the shared spaces requested by the client, the architects sized down some of the bedrooms and condensed closet and bathroom space.

The result is a very open first floor. The den and music room sit near the kitchen, which opens out onto the dining room and an exterior dining deck. The dining room has a particularly strong connection to the outdoors, with a floor-to-ceiling expanse of glass looking onto the driveway, which is paved in textured concrete.

A central staircase leads to the second floor, which contains three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a sizable outdoor deck outfitted with a movie screen and fire pit. The deck allows for evening ocean breezes while providing privacy and some shade from the sun.

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Project Details:

Architect of Record: Hsu McCullough / @hsumccullough

Contractor: Gramajo's Custom Homes, Inc.

Structural Engineer: Parker Resnick Structural Engineering

Landscape Design: Jay Griffith Landscape

Appliances: Fisher & Paykel