Building a ground-up, single-family dwelling in Beverly Hills requires a bit of fortitude and perseverance. The process can be trying — an architectural review board is involved, after all. But as Tarek Abdel-Ghaffar — cofounder of Colega Architects, along with Bogdan Tomalevski — explains, the client’s unwavering desire to create something truly unique meant they also had to contend with the community. “We didn’t want our project to stick out like a sore thumb, but we wanted it to be current and expressive of the design’s intent. Part of the objective was to fit into the fabric of the neighborhood; we succeeded in doing so through scale and materiality.”
Interior designer Natalie Myers, founder of Veneer Designs, was the catalyst for bringing in Colega Architects. “I had worked and collaborated with Colega successfully in the past, and I felt they were perfect for the job,” she shares. “The client wanted a home that celebrated romanticized California living, so we chose the international style.” Abdel-Ghaffar explains, “That style is really the foundation of modernism, the basis for what people refer to as midcentury modern. It’s also about the sincerity and honesty of materials.” Adds Tomalevski, “Everything started from a tectonic perspective, and that kind of movement was all about articulating and understanding structure.”
The home’s exterior, with north and east exposures to the street, is anchored by shimmery, dark artisan brick. A white plaster elevation containing the primary bedroom seems to float over the west side’s exterior, creating a covered courtyard below. On the north, a double-side picket fence blocks passersby’s views to the grounds, and IPE louvers offer privacy within yet allow views out. Vertical hemlock siding also adds to the pleasing aesthetic. Tall windows on the ground floor, skylights, and sky wells let in an abundance of natural light without exposing the inhabitants to the outside world.
Inside, an expansive great room encompasses various entertainment areas meant for relaxing, dining, and imbibing. A striking staircase in ash wood over an artful nook infuses the architectural moment with a sunny California vibe. To create a cohesive sense of flow, materials such as walnut — carried out in custom cabinetry, furnishings, paneling and interior doors—the exterior’s dark, handmade brick, and elegant limestone flooring that extends from indoors to outside are woven throughout. “I really wanted the limestone flooring — it’s softer than the other materials, yet I think it’s still modern in a more timeless, European manner,” shares Myers.
A swanky yet understated bar near the entrance is outfitted in Tabarka Studio’s Basel 6 white terracotta tiles with brass inlay, perfectly playing off the brushed brass and cream-colored seats of the bar stools. Steps away, a lounge area is defined by a vintage biomorphic sofa, a sinuous coffee table, and plush seating upholstered in a warm butterscotch-champagne hue. The adjacent dining area features sliding glass doors that tuck into the walls for a seamless transition to alfresco living. Apparatus Studio lights and vintage Danish dining chairs frame the bronze-and-smoked-glass dining table — which casts a mesmerizing reflection of nearby greenery.
The kitchen features floor-to-ceiling custom walnut cabinetry, a brass hood, cabinets painted in Farrow & Ball Jitney No. 293 and Calacatta gold marble. Allied Maker pendants and a custom, eat-in ash wood dining table round out the material affair. A Jan Ekselius lounge chair is the star of a neighboring family room, where sliding glass doors lead to a semiprivate outdoor patio. “We delineated each space through singular, distilled elements that form special little universes throughout,” explains Myers.
The home’s exterior amenities exemplify this notion — the irregularly-shaped lot includes a bocce court, pool, separate lounge areas, a bar and more. “Dirk Gaudet designed the exterior landscape architecture,” notes Abdel-Ghaffar. “We gave him some initial direction of our intent, but he did an amazing job of tying the materiality of the home to the landscape and picking up on the strong geometry of the building. The cohesiveness of the team was truly the driving force behind the end quality.” Myers’ interior design choices, adds Tomalevski, “brought a uniqueness to the home that otherwise wouldn’t exist.”
Photography by Manolo Langis.
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