FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Subscribe
Design

Fine Lines Between Inside and Out

Issue 244 - June/July 2014
California contemporary

Some of the most inviting homes are those whose indoor rooms flow seamlessly into outdoor spaces. With outdoor living areas playing an important part in their design, many of the homes submitted for our 2014 Houses awards effortlessly blurred the lines between indoors and outdoors. To inspire your own outdoor living space, here are three of our favorites.
 
View a gallery of all the 2014 Houses submissions or to post your own Houses project.

California contemporary

An extensive renovation transformed a dark, one-story bungalow into this urban beach house. Floor-to-ceiling windows capture abundant natural light, maximize views, and create connections between the indoor and outdoor environments throughout. The two main wings of the house wrap a courtyard featuring grass, wood-decking, and concrete surfaces. Fully glazed walls in the family and dining rooms allow for a line of sight from the front to the back of the house. Views of the ocean and of downtown Los Angeles can be seen from the ipé deck or through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the home’s newly added second story. In addition to offering warmth and ambience on chilly evenings, the custom double-sided propane fireplace links the living room, dining room, and courtyard, and it provides another visual connection between inside and out.

Architect: David Montalba, AIA, Montalba Architects, Santa Monica, Calif., montalbaarchitects.com
Builder: Sarlan Builders, Beverly Hills, Calif., sarlanbuilders.com
Photographs: John Edward Linden Photography, johnlindenphotographs.com, courtesy of Montalba Architects

Music by the bay

An extensive remodel added a lower level to a modest 1960s ranch house and transformed the main living level from a series of small rooms into a spacious great room. Long-span headers and rigid shear-wall panels allowed glazing to replace most of the original solid rear wall, maximizing natural light and expansive views of the San Francisco Bay. A slate patio with in-ground lighting was added for outdoor entertaining. Walls on two sides of the patio define the space and retain the hillside. For an uncluttered look, a niche in one wall topped by a pergola houses the grill. A professor of biology, the homeowner installed the pond as an artificial wetland for his studies.

Architect: Jace Levinson, Jace Architecture, Oakland, Calif., jacearchitecture.com
Builder: Tom Ganley Construction, San Rafael, Calif., tomganleyconstruction.com
Photographs: Muffy Kibbey (exterior), muffykibbey.com; Mark Luthringer (interior), luthringer.com

Gracious Oasis

Faced with a difficult site, the architects took advantage of the steep slope by separating the house from the slope and sinking the private levels below. The vertical proportions of the three-story house, along with its overhangs and orientation, provide shade to the outdoor decks and patios. Rooms and outdoor areas at the rear of the house were designed to seamlessly engage the interior and exterior. Decks, porches, and floor-to-ceiling walls of glass look out to the hills and down to the lower deck, complete with pool and hot tub. Surrounded by lush vegetation and views of the Texas Hill Country, the covered outdoor living room takes advantage of the lower elevation’s cooler temperatures, while the large roof overhang helps shade the room from the elements and the Texas sun.

Architect: J Square Architecture, Austin, Texas, jsquarearch.com
Builder: Jeffrey Cole, Austin, Texas
Photographs: Paul Bardagjy Photography, bardagjyphoto.com

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Innovative Design in Affordable Housing

A barbell layout comfortably organizes this small, single-family home into its extremely narrow footprint.

Featured Video

Micro-Adjust Deck-Baluster Spacing for an Eye-Deceiving Layout

No math, no measuring—just a simple jig made from an elastic band is all you need to lay out a good-looking deck railing.

Related Stories

  • Editorial Note: Building New is Easy
  • Podcast 530: PRO TALK With Architecture Student Phillip Schladweiler
  • Combining Design Aesthetics for an Island Home
  • Editorial Note: Living Smaller

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • Podcast 530: PRO TALK With Architecture Student Phillip Schladweiler
  • Podcast 524: PRO TALK With Design Department Manager Candice Rania
  • Balancing Design and High-Performance Construction
  • Podcast 509: Members-only Aftershow
View All

Architecture and Design

View All Architecture and Design Articles
  • front of house
    Modern and Geometric Home in New England
  • affordable housing design
    Innovative Design in Affordable Housing
  • Illustration of a small house surrounded by lots of green space
    6 Ways to Make a Small Lot Live Big
  • A person drawing plans on a tablet
    Why Pretty Good is Pretty Great
View All Architecture and Design Articles

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • 2023 Tool Guide
    Buy Now
  • 2022 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 313 - Feb/March 2023
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
    • Fine Homebuilding Issue #313 Online Highlights
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
  • Issue 312 - Dec 2022/Jan 2023
    • Tool Test: Cordless Tablesaws
    • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
    • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams
  • Issue 311 - November 2022
    • 7 Steps to a Perfect Exterior Paint Job
    • Options for Smarter Home-Energy Tracking
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: James Metoyer
  • Issue 310 - October 2022
    • Choosing a Tile-Leveling System
    • Choosing Between HRVs and ERVs
    • Custom Built-in Cabinets Made Easy
  • Issue 309 - Aug/Sept 2022
    • 10 Steps to Install Crown Molding on Cabinets
    • How to Get Sturdy Walls Without OSB
    • Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in