Out front, a flagstone-paved “bridge” (this page) leads from the street to the front door, crossing over a small stream that flows into a waterfall. The waterfall in turn cascades into a pond that’s stocked with koi. The owners were determined to use materials and colors that complemented the rugged terrain at the back of the house. That meant lots of stone and stucco, and using a craggy diving rock (above) instead of the usual turquoise-and-white board. The plan (left) shows how the creek meanders behind the house—and how the 7,494-square-foot home itself is nestled into the challenging site. Before the owners developed their lot, the creek bed (top) that tumbled down the ravine was dormant for much of the year. They activated it for year-round use by pumping water up to the creek bed. The creek now has enough water flowing to accommodate a number of small waterfalls.
Lots of careful thought went into the planning of both the indoor and outdoor spaces. On the patio, flowering plants (above, left) are equipped with irrigation tubes that run up through the bottom of every pot. A cedar gate (above, right) flanked by two stone columns keeps equipment out of sight.
