Simple renovated beach house goes all in on timber

When you’ve got a house with as many shapes and angles as the house Blue Truck Studio was enlisted to renovate, the best directive is a simple one: Keep things clean. A family of four tapped the San Francisco studio to refresh and simplify a vacation home in Manhattan Beach, California.

“The design intent was to calm down the geometry of the house,” said Blue Truck Studio’s Peter Liang.

Gregg Segal

The family wanted a home reminiscent of the angular, wooden abodes found in the idyllic Northern California community Sea Ranch. To achieve that, the studio wrapped the house in Alaskan cedar slats, creating a neutral facade that almost looks like an op-art installation.

Inside, the house was opened up—Liang removed a fireplace in the living room to create more interior movement and allow space for a wall-sized sliding window that opens directly onto two patios.

The rest of the house follows the cue of the exterior; white siding wraps around the stairwell and neutral wood accents bring just the right amount of warmth to an otherwise cool and toned-down design.

Gregg Segal

Gregg Segal