Drift House

From the outset of this project, the clients were looking for a home that felt casual and unforced—resilient enough for daily life, which still celebrating the spectacular views from this waterfront property. The interior design and architecture (in collaboration with Measured Architecture) are shaped by 1970s West Coast modernism: low-key, tactile, and deeply connected to site; and borrowing specifically from the Sea Ranch vernacular. There is an ease to the way spaces flow, and the inverted floorplan remarkable views from the social spaces that occupy the uppermost level. Below, more private zones offer retreat for a family of three, including a teenager whose independence is accommodated within the plan.

The material palette is anchored by flagstone flooring which offers a tactile permanence, their irregularity echoing the shoreline below. Hemlock cladding wraps walls and ceilings, microtopping plaster lends a quiet continuity with its natural imperfections, and terra cotta tile introduces moments of sunbaked color. Skylights punctuate the roof plane, pulling daylight deep into the home.