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72 WINTER/SPRING 2017 SPACES
surround, both inset into a white rectangular plane that is angled away
from the wood-clad wall behind it. The fireplace appears to be floating,
and backlighting reinforces the illusion.
The dining area in the center of the open-plan living space is simply
defined by a rectangular mirror-finish stainless-steel panel installed in the
ceiling, aligned with a row of existing skylights. “Blue/Green Vertical,”
a diptych by Joey Piziali, is paired with a Mobile 8 pendant light by
Michael Anastassiasides.
Next to it, the taut modern, all-white kitchen has an island of Carrara
marble and oxidized cherry bar stools by Sawkille Co. Artwork in this
space includes a framed lithograph by Christoph Rossner from the San
Francisco–based Romer Young Gallery on the kitchen counter.
Steps away, Fleetwood doors open to the footbridge leading to the
cascading back garden, its many outdoor living areas and the mirrored
cube at the far end.
The dramatic cube was intended as a viewing outpost at first but is now
used as a retreat for inward reflection. Its entrance is cleverly concealed in
back and the cylindrical interior has another voluptuous heated bench to
sink into and watch passing clouds through an oculus overhead. Acoustical
felt on the ceiling absorbs any ambient sounds, and in that silence any
passing thought can be scribbled on the fiberglass walls that are covered
with whiteboard paint.
“The owner wanted to create a playful space where ideas could be
shared,” Smith says. “We gave him exactly that.” n
