Get 35% off Dwell with promo code RESERVE35
SubscribeSign In
Collection by Luke Hopping

Quintessential California: 5 Indoor-Outdoor Homes

Balmy and suburban, California is practically founded on the promise of an indoor-outdoor existence. Like Scandinavian cabins or Brooklyn brownstones, the breezy bungalow is the Sunshine State's residential calling card. Here are a few of our favorite examples.

View 5 Photos
Sweet’s renovation scheme included recreating the couple’s backyard as a natural extension of their living room.
Sweet’s renovation scheme included recreating the couple’s backyard as a natural extension of their living room.
In this sustainable home in Silicon Valley, the primary suite opens to a deck and fern garden with large, sliding glass doors.
In this sustainable home in Silicon Valley, the primary suite opens to a deck and fern garden with large, sliding glass doors.
Architectural designer Sebastian Mariscal and project manager Jeff Svitak created a house in Venice, California, for Michael and Tamami Sylvester. Known as Dwell Home Venice for its role as an exemplification of modern architecture, the house is an homage to indoor-outdoor living. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.
Architectural designer Sebastian Mariscal and project manager Jeff Svitak created a house in Venice, California, for Michael and Tamami Sylvester. Known as Dwell Home Venice for its role as an exemplification of modern architecture, the house is an homage to indoor-outdoor living. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.
This Carlsbad home has a tertiary space that space is known in traditional Japanese homes as the "engawa.” To sustain a unified look throughout, the floor and ceiling are clad in ipe wood. Photo by Daniel Hennessy.
This Carlsbad home has a tertiary space that space is known in traditional Japanese homes as the "engawa.” To sustain a unified look throughout, the floor and ceiling are clad in ipe wood. Photo by Daniel Hennessy.