Fin Home Case Study: Los Angeles Residential Design
Building a home in Los Angeles requires the right partners. At Bspk, we’ve built a reputation for modern residential design, as showcased in Santa Monica through the Fin Home.
Home is where some of the biggest events of our life unfold. More than just four walls and a place to sleep, a home shapes who we are. This holds true for Los Angeles residential design and across the world. It’s the small things: the warmth of sunlight through a kitchen window, the feel of pavers beneath our feet as we approach an entry, or the smell of spring in a garden. Homes are an expression of ourselves, what we love, and how we want to live.
As private spaces where we begin and end our day, homes are made around routines. For the Fin Home in Santa Monica, we set out to design for daily life and to reinterpret the bungalows and beach cottages found throughout the seaside community. As a couple with three children, our clients asked us to rethink the typical, closed-off design found in surrounding homes, as well as provide space for both their family and for hosting guests and friends.
International Style: Home Design that Uplifts and Inspires
Homes take on many shapes and sizes. At Bspk, much of our work is inspired by the International Style and its timeless, elegant aesthetic. The style was developed in the 1920s and 1930s in Europe after World War I, and spread throughout the world. Characterized by a visually weightless quality and clean, rectilinear forms, this style influenced our work in the Fin Home. With open interior spaces, cantilevers, and a lofty feel, the house is warm and inviting throughout. The indoor/outdoor plan is also arranged on the lot to optimize connections with the private backyard and pool.
All of our collaborations and designs at Bspk begin with building a relationship with our clients. A home represents safety, ownership, and a sense of respite that’s both personal and authentic. For the Fin Home, the owners had a vivacious spirit with ideas for what the home might look like and include. Together, we underwent a process of discovery that allowed us to create space for both the clients and local residents. As residences in Santa Monica often feel closed off, our clients wanted their home to engage with the neighborhood.
At the entrance of the modernist-inspired design is a water feature that doubles as a bench where passersby are invited to sit and converse. Similarly, an expansive wall-height window for the powder room at the front creates an open dialogue with the neighborhood. And through the entry, visitors are greeted by an element envisioned by the client: a floating stair that serves as a sculptural centerpiece.
Walnut, Quartzite, and More: Bringing Together the Best Details
The best design details elevate the way we experience a home. This makes a home feel timeless, that it will continue to be a comfortable and inspiring space for years to come. In the Fin Home, details like the entry’s sculptural walnut staircase resonate throughout. The landing for the walnut stair on the third level is wrapped in glass, while outside, a slatted wood facade became the project’s namesake. It lets light filter through while keeping the interiors private.
Moving inside, an en suite bath is anchored by a generous 10-by-4-foot shower that’s hewn from a quartzite slab. Visually stimulating and calming, it’s carefully detailed and constructed to create a seamless experience. Its muted colors and striated, rippling patterns shift subtly as the sun moves across a skylight overhead, creating a dynamic and soothing atmosphere. Other details include a gym with mirrored walls, a space that re-energizes and rejuvenates throughout while providing connections outside.
“Roman and Chris are in a league by themselves. Their level of attention to detail has been instrumental to our project. They have taken on a level of ownership for our project and have looked over every single detail - going above and beyond all of our expectations.” - Owner.
The relationship we have with a home is deeply personal. From the moment we step inside, we are entering a place that is a refuge and a sanctuary. In creating homes that seamlessly connect indoors and outdoors through interior design, landscape, and architecture, we are building homes to last. The Fin Home was a study in how to express client’s ideas and bring new ways of living to life. The result is a home that’s rooted in Santa Monica and that will continue to serve the family for years to come.