Located in Pacific Palisades, California, this contemporary home by Colby Mayes and his team at the Mayes Office | MO offers is breathtaking in its simplicity and minimalism. As a city that is renowned for its picturesque mountains and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the designers wanted to embrace a living space that would naturally integrate indoor and outdoor living spaces of the home.
The relatively modest facade gradually makes room for unexpected interiors. Interior and exterior spaces are blurred within the Bellino Residence, where natural light and garden spaces flourish.
Natural light flows freely throughout the residence, due to floor-to-ceiling-windows and a skylight above the atrium. A 12’-tall glass pocket wall, slides open the house to the surrounding beautiful canyon vistas; amplifying the connection between the house with its surroundings and further dissipating the sense of separation between outdoors and indoors. A high level of openness is further exhibited by the garden facing side of the residence, where the windows and terraces communicate with the inner courtyard.
A main feature of this home is the 'cantilevered' second level, which was an effort to comply with height building restrictions set by the city council. As part of an effort to maximize the floor area without adding 'height', the designers at MO innovatively carved out a grade to create an additional level underground. The first level is lifted just above the ground by exposed concrete walls allowing sunlight to spill into spaces. To top it off, the roof deck is just one of the many details that offer an outdoor area for relaxation that affords a complete panorama of the California coast.
The materiality of the house features a modern mixture of wood, steel, concrete and stone – materials that make the place feel dynamic and welcoming. It is further matched seamlessly by polished wood flooring throughout the interiors of the home. With skillful manipulation of illumination and the solid-void relationship, the overall effect achieved is a harmonious integration between architecture and nature.