The 1915 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, California featured a picturesque collection of buildings and gardens, in a fanciful reimagining of Spanish Colonial architecture and landscape. The Panama-California Exposition's style was widely published, seen by many, and highly influential in California and all of the Southwest. This led to the assimilation of the Spanish-Colonial Revival style as the dominant regional historial architecture in Southern California, which continues to this day. This house, on the gently sloping flanks of Malibu's Point Dume, was intended to be part of this romantic local continuum.

Situated on its site to embrace panoramic views of Santa Monica Bay to the south, the living spaces of this family home engage the landscape in a way that encourages daily living in the out-of-doors. Living and dining as fresco is a grand tradition in Mediterranean climes around the world, and is an important element of the lifestyle of coastal Southern California. In this home, the focus of the main level is the loggia, a protected outdoor living space that is the center of family life. This warm outdoor room is graciously scaled, roomy enough for a comfortable sitting area and a large outdoor dining table, and features a limestone fireplace, and vaulted terra cotta ceiling. The spacious Mediterranean country kitchen opens directly to the loggia, allowing the indoor/outdoor space to become an active, day-to-day living space for the family. Also off the kitchen is the cozy family room, featuring a large limestone fireplace, hand carved beamed ceilings, and a broad picture window framing the vista of the distant coastline.

Beyond the loggia, terraces cascade down the gently sloping site, providing comfortable places to dine, lounge, and swim in a relaxed, resort-like Mediterranean landscape.


About Us

Our design philosophy is predicated on deep, meaningful connections between the house and the land. Southern California is blessed with a nurturing environment that provides extraordinary opportunities for true indoor-outdoor living. The homes we design fulfill that promise with beauty and joy.

 

Our Thinking

The Mediterranean in Southern California

Architecture inspired by great traditions of the Mediterranean region has a long, rich history in California. The fruits of this long lineage flavor the character of our cities and dot the surrounding hillsides. At KAA Design, we have often found the Mediterranean architectures to be a perfect fit for our clients wishing to build here.

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