Farmhouse by the Sea

In Laguna Beach, Calif., the hilly, coastal town’s architecture is sculpted by its carefully protected ocean views. Local design firm Anders Lasater Architects worked within codes and regulations to heighten internal volume and breathe new life into a 1950s rancher that lacked the style or substance of the neighborhood’s surrounding bungalows.

Working with Laguna-based builder Robert Ferguson Co., the team washed the interiors in clean white, creating a subtle canvas for striking details—including oversized, steel-framed windows that offer several vantage points to the sea below and fill the home with natural light during daytime and the amber glow of the setting sun in the evenings.

A geometric, vaulted ceiling in the great room adds a contemporary touch and bounces light across the main living spaces. Reorganized as a collection of luminous volumes, the smaller, more personal scale is celebrated within its new modern farmhouse aesthetic.

This project appeared in the August 2018 issue of BUILDER.