Manhattan Beach, California is a densely populated city with some great architecture and a relaxed community, but the homes are closely packed together. “These tight adjacencies force designers to get creative with how they use a lot and optimize their open space,” says Harper Halprin of AAHA Studio. “Walking, biking, and surfing are the primary modes of transportation, and each house finds a way to accommodate them.”
Harper and husband Aaron Leshtz are well-acquainted with the area, and their boutique architecture and design firm was eager to take on a property in need of updating. “Our clients for this project are a young family with two kids who had been living in the house for a few years by the time we were introduced,” Aaron recalls. “Their primary goal was to maximize the connection between the interior and exterior space to allow for more flexible entertaining, as well as provide a more functional backyard for their kids—all without adding additional square footage.”
The property features a 1,744 square foot residence on a 3,902 square foot lot, with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Harper and Aaron completely redesigned the façade and massing, planned extensive interior renovations, and selected all finishes and fixtures, as well as some furniture.
“To achieve their priority of maximizing indoor/outdoor access, our clients wanted to incorporate large sliding doors into the existing window wall in the hall and kitchen,” Harper explains. “The corner pocketing Fleetwood multi-sliding doors we used ended up being the showpiece of the house around which multiple spaces are hinged.” In addition to this flow, the clients wanted to strip the house of its transitional detailing and transform it into an expression of a clean, Scandinavian aesthetic that inspired them.
“As professionals with backgrounds in advertising and publishing, they had a real love for the details and very specific goals from the start,” she continues. “We designed with a focus on bright, neutral materials that would harness and reflect the new abundance of natural light made possible by the various skylights we added throughout the space. We incorporated a modern Scandinavian palette while embracing some of mid-century bones of the existing house.”
Outside, a similar aesthetic unfolded. “The before/after photos of the façade really speak for themselves!” says Aaron. “With limited structural work, we stripped the house of its drab, painted siding and created a new roofline, essentially creating two massing that are split by the entry door. A new cantilevered roof overhang welcomes you inside the home and up new poured concrete steps. The house is wrapped in sustainably sourced western red cedar from Delta Millworks out of Austin, Texas. We purposefully chose the oiled cedar for the exterior as it is meant to age and gray in the salt air, naturally patinating over time.”
Finally, they updated the ADU [Accessory Dwelling Unit] above the garage. “The bones were there but needed a total refresh of finishes,” Harper explains. “We adjusted the windows to better serve the layout of the space. The kitchenette is wrapped in a matte black Fenix laminate with black fixtures and a matching backsplash. The bathroom was kept entirely white with contrasting matte black fixtures.”
With such a minimal aesthetic, the details really matter. “We must give a lot of credit to the General Contractor for pristinely executing seemingly simple details,” the couple says. “A renovation also brings up unique challenges as you end up re-building more than you intended to due to unique framing conditions, settling foundations, etc.”
The project took about two years, and the clients are thrilled. “They ended up renting a home nearby while construction was ongoing and would make frequent site visits,” the couple recalls. “They were really involved and loved getting into the details as things were progressing so were witness to each step of the process. The transformation in functionality for them (without increasing the size of the house) is a true highlight for them.”
