The Venice Beach Contemporary Craftsman, or VBCC House, started as a renovation project for a growing family's small bungalow-style home. The design goal was to create an open, connected space that would flow from front to back, making it perfect for entertaining and taking advantage of the soothing Pacific breeze. Glass sliders on either end of the house allow for the wood flooring and ceiling to seem to extend into the decks and surrounding landscape.
As you approach the house from the street, you're led along a wall of charred wood and exposed cantilevered beams, up concrete steps to the unique entry door, which features a built-in planter with a filtration system. The second floor was added and includes three bedrooms, accessed via a central open stairwell filled with light from large northwest-facing windows and three skylights. The highest skylight can be opened, allowing natural ventilation to circulate the temperate coastal California air throughout the house.
The main bedroom has a private balcony with views of the Santa Monica Mountains and a wood railing that extends into the room and becomes an architectural headboard built into the wall. Clerestory windows in the main suite allow the wood cathedral ceiling to extend to the eaves, creating a sense of the roof floating above the structure. The main bathroom has a low wall with a frameless glass transom that unifies the suite while maintaining privacy and keeping the view of the corner window, which provides natural light for the tub.
The VBCC House was designed with special attention to fenestration and orientation, ensuring that natural lighting, ventilation, and privacy were balanced throughout the structure. This, along with the use of natural materials and a visual connection to the landscape, creates a calming oasis within the vibrant atmosphere of Venice Beach.
VBCC House - Main Entry
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Front Facade, Daytime
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Front Facade, Night
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Front Patio Planter
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Kitchen & Dining
An open kitchen & dining space opens up onto the front patio through full height glass sliding doors.
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Main Entry Door
An integrated planter spans from interior to exterior through a generous full height side lite at the grand entry door.
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Lower Lever
Looking through the living area and stairwell through to the dining area and front patio beyond.
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Stairwell
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Stairwell
A series of three skylights and large picture windows floods the central stairwell and upper hallway with natural light.
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Master Bedroom
Clear grain cedar railings and eaves continue through from interior to exterior in the master bedroom extending the space out onto the master suite patio.
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Master Bedroom
Clear grain cedar railings and eaves continue through from interior to exterior in the master bedroom extending the space out onto the master suite patio.
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Master Suite
A frameless glass clerestory and door provides a sense of continuous flow from the bedroom into the master bathroom. Mahogany built-in storage is found throughout the house.
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
VBCC House - Master Bathroom
Photography by Elizabeth Daniels
