Monte Vista by H3K Design

Location: Palm Springs, California, USA
Photo courtesy: Patrick Ketchum
Description:

The clients originally hired us to design a casita or an expansion on the existing foot print of the house but didn’t want to give up the beautiful yard and lush green lawn that they and their children enjoyed so much. That of course was quite a challenge as the only area for expansion was the backyard. In terms of the interior, the guest bathroom was too small especially with multiple kids and house guests.

The master bathroom did not have the feel of a grand master bath as was common in Alexander built homes. The owners also wanted to refresh the finishes on the house and have the windows and doors to more appropriate of the house while increasing their energy efficiency.

After carefully considering the scope and options of the project, we proposed to the client that we could give them more useable space without adding square footage to their house. With our extensive experience with working with Alexander built homes, we were able to take advantage of post and beam construction and use unrealized space in and near the breezeway, the side yards, and far side of the swimming pool.

For the exterior, we replaced all the existing concrete and reconfigured it to include more useable space and the creation of two inviting outdoor lounge beds. Since the house lacked a grand entry, we designed “floating” concrete pads over a water feature which leads to extra-large glass front door. Off the kitchen, a new outdoor dining space was created, which is covered with a period appropriate wood slated pergola. On the opposite side of the house the owners wanted to have a master retreat to relax their cares away. The outdoor spa was designed for the use of the master bedroom occupants and works nicely with the outdoor shower.