Suite Oasis

"We maintained a consistent use of materials and finishes indoors and out and from the main floor living spaces throughout the upstairs bedrooms," says architect Steven Sennikoff, of Scheurer Architects, who designed the home. This includes a rustic palette of materials such as exposed beams, operating awning windows and shutters, wide-plank wood floors and an earth-tone color scheme. Although the home is designed to convey a casual "beach" character, its interior living spaces retain a sense of sophistication and high-quality detailing.

"The home's interior style reflects a mix of influences from beach areas around the world," says interior designer Courtney Lawrence, who also was responsible for developing the interior architecture plan for the home. "I get blank walls from the architect and I fill them in. In this home there are influences from Asia, Africa, and even Indonesia." Lawrence also designed the custom light fixtures and cabinetry used throughout the house.

The home is located on an infill site in an established, beach-oriented community with existing homes surrounding it. Because of its high-density setting, it was extremely important to maintain privacy for both entertaining and retreat space for his clients, says Sennikoff. His design for the two-story home was based on a U-shaped footprint, creating a sheltered interior courtyard as well as a separate entry courtyard. Privacy is addressed throughout the home by both room layout and careful positioning of windows.

On its main floor, large window walls provide access to the outdoor courtyard and decks.

Upstairs, a loft serves as a buffer between two secondary suites, while three different "vestibules," accented by ceiling changes and display niches lead to the master retreat.

"I wanted to create a more interesting entry to this space rather than a typical hallway," says Lawrence. "It really becomes a visual experience as you transition into the master suite."

The master bedroom and bath feature painted horizontal paneling on the walls and ceiling. Windows on all three exterior walls of the bedroom provide the opportunity to open the space up to the outdoors. Custom windows and operating shutters ventilate the space without any loss of privacy. Both rooms also feature 15-foot vaulted, paneled ceilings with exposed mahogany trusses.

"The relationship between the tub and the doors was particularly important to my clients," says Sennikoff. "They really wanted a bathroom that opened to the outside."

The tub's prominent position makes it the key design element of the space. "In most conventional bathrooms, the tub is positioned in a more private location," says Sennikoff. "In this case, the tub is so dramatic that it really functions as a piece of art. I call it a 'display' bathtub."

The home was completed in October 2003.