la dwell home tours 2013: treehouse-modern-green-outdoors-in. words fail me.

It's that time of year again! Dwell is back in town with their June 21-23 Dwell on Design show which also includes home tours. Sunday, June 15 kicked off with their L.A. West Side Tour.

The first house on the tour was, well, incredible. Dwell Home Venice.

I wandered about this property absolutely mesmerized. In order for you to understand the pictures, you have to be oriented to the uniqueness of the space. What I am about to say absolutely under sells what you are about to see. This home is a series of inter-connected boxes, with courtyards and gardens and stairways, leading in, out, up and down. There aren't halls, so much as paths. And one room, doesn't necessarily connect to the next room. In fact, the home is so unconnected that the design team ran into building code issues in the approval stage. The city insisted they were trying to build multiple homes on a lot zoned for only one home. Here we go.

The street view is a bit mysterious.

Pretty unassuming, huh? Regular plank exterior. Nothing fancy. Except there is that orange again. This shade of pumpkin orange is everywhere and is growing on me. It is a flashback retro color, and perhaps a trend. But I think it will be my new front door color. Why not?

This cave like entrance is wonderful. It has no real purpose but to welcome you into this unique dwelling. The entryway is strictly aesthetic, and sculptural which is kind of fantastic.

The interior courtyard is a custom built area around a pine tree preserved as a focal point of the project. All the pine needles under the tree were saved also, to be re-used as a pine tree carpet. It is very soft. I have thoughts about the rain and would like to visit this home on a rainy day. For oh so many reasons.

Interesting-er and interesting-er.

You step right into a living room kitchen area. These are giant mahogany folding glass doors.

There are natural paths built with plantings and gravel. Positive and negative space, as it were (the landscaper told me that). Really clever.

The interior gardens are all drought tolerant and really beautiful. You can tell they are young plantings. It will be exciting to watch it grow into the landscaper's vision.

This is an outdoor dining room that serves to connect the front house with the back house and make the house zoned for R1 (single residential) as opposed to R2 (two residential units on a lot).

This is the master bedroom. However, any of the bedrooms are exquisite. Simple and spacious.

Indoor outdoor shower. Too fun.

I loved this patio option. Seems like poured concrete with sand grouting. But I am guessing.

All the outdoor vignettes are lovely.

Outdoor stairs to what?

You are looking down at the living room kitchen. To the right is the outdoor eating area, which leads to the master bedroom, in the back of the house.

Up on this private deck is an upstairs garden. Can you see the meandering path built into the garden?

And a private little office, TV room and/or guest room. I believe there is another bathroom tucked behind that glass door.

View from the sofa above.

Back down the stairs I go.

This is an outdoor fireplace. It is gas. You pull the lid off and light 'er up.

Close up view of the outdoor garden from one of the two guest bedrooms. And another view of the path.

This is an incredibly modest home by modern standards. It is only 2,400 square feet and three bedrooms. I think I counted two bathrooms, maybe three bathrooms at most (and I can't be sure about the third). Art is used sparingly which I appreciated.

Tidy, simple bathroom. No over abundance of glass tile (the latest trend).

Jack and Jill bathroom. I like.

View up to the little upstairs office. The porthole below is into the master bedroom. Are you getting a feel for the place?

Here is a sneaky shot. The architect, Sebastian Mariscal, is on the right. And the landscape architect, Jack Kiesel is on the left. An admirer is in the middle. The resident, Michael Sylvester, was wandering around as well. All three were incredibly nice. Doing a little internet sleuthing, Michael Sylvester either was with or still is with Dwell on Design. Ah hah. This explains the extensive blog regarding the building of the Venice house. And maybe why it is called "Dwell Home Venice."

Main office essentially completely separate from the main house.

Actually I think you can sneak through from the kitchen.

Another cute little porthole window.

Um wow. This is a cool house that doesn't just scream COOL at you. They didn't over use metal or the industrial look. The unconnected spaces are unconventional, but flow beautifully. Well thought out, but not over designed. And, super comfortable.

The fun is just beginning. I saw four other houses last Saturday. Then there is the Dwell on Design Conference June 21-23 at the L.A. Convention Center. AND, I am going to do another home tour this  Saturday, June 22 -- East Side & Downtown.  I am skipping Canyons & Valley due to anticipated house fatigue. But should I?

Related Posts:

• Dwell on Design 2012 Landscape Ideas
• Dwell on Design 2012 Planters and Outdoor Furniture
• Dwell on Design 2012 Modern Lighting
• Dwell Modern San Diego #1: Munson Residence
• Dwell Modern San Diego #2: one19 Living Studio
• Dwell Modern San Diego #3: Modern Cardiff
• Dwell Modern San Diego #4: Harris Residence