Tucked away in the Los Angeles beach community of Hermosa Beach is a beautiful 2,400-square-foot home design by Hughes Umbanhowar Architects. The single-family residence sports a modern, open, and spacious floor-plan that accommodate two parents and two children. While all the features of the home are stunning, the fireplace is one of the most interesting features, which you can see in the photo gallery below.
The Spacious and Relaxing Exterior
The exterior of the home welcomes the cool sea breezes that blow in from the nearby beach. The interior of the house also benefits from the salty sea winds when the weather is nice. A gravel patio offers space for entertainment and outdoor seating or dining, while a grassy area allows the kids to romp and play.
The fenced in yard has a partial privacy fence and a chain link fence with plenty of greenery to ensure quiet comfort. Large stone pavers provide a walkway up to the home just alongside the driveway leading up to the garage. At night, the interior lighting creates a soft glow on the exterior thanks to the many large windows, particularly in the social area of the home.
The Open and Inviting Interior
The interior of the home has polished concrete floors and light-colored walls to give it an airy feeling. The social area of the home, which consists of the kitchen, dining room, and living room has several floor-to-ceiling windows, which let in plenty of natural sunlight. When the weather is nice, a large floor-to-ceiling glass door opens from the living room out onto the gravel patio, which lets in a nice, gentle breeze.
Along one wall in the living room is a fireplace. The fireplace surrounding spans the entire length of the wall and offers a warm, cozy comfort when the temperatures drop. Lofty ceilings above the dining and kitchen area make the rooms appear larger. Ceiling fans hang from the ceilings to promote circulation throughout the social area.
The cabinets in the kitchen are simple and unassuming, yet modern and bright with a nice, warm wood. The countertops are light in color, much like the walls, which looks great against the gray, polished concrete flooring. The open floor plan of the kitchen allows the chef to entertain guests while preparing meals.
Wooden stairs lead the way to the upstairs area, where the residents have their sleeping quarters. Throughout the home are several different alcoves built into the wall that the residents can use as shelving to display dรฉcor and other items. Some of the most interesting features of this home include:
- The use of recycled wood
- Passive cooling system
- Paint that is non-VOC and non-toxic
- High fly ash polished concrete flooring
- Solar heating
- Denim insulation
- Radiant floor heating
- Rainwater seepage pit
Overall, the home is family-friendly, particularly since the paint and glues used to construct the home do not contain any toxins or VOCs. The house, while not obnoxiously large, is plenty big enough for a growing family to enjoy it for many years to come.
Design by Hughes Umbanhowar Architects
Design by Hughes Umbanhowar Architects
