You Can Almost Touch the Sky in This Renovated Midcentury Home in L.A. – Dwell

Dwell Escapes is supported by Genesis. We selected this escape because its streamlined, daylit living areas and minimalist palette of metal and wood echo the luxurious interior of the Genesis GV80.

Robert Galishoff originally hired architects Brett Woods and Joe Dangaran to bring his single-story midcentury home back to life, but as they began to work together on the Clear Oak Residence, the three men saw the potential for something more. What began as a simple renovation turned into a major one, and through a successful partnership, the homeowner and architects created a reverent sanctuary in the sky.

The Genesis GV80 sits near the open carport of the Clear Oak Residence.

The 5,000-square-foot single-story home sits on a hill overlooking the San Fernando Valleyso spectacular views were a given. However, Woods and Dangaran wanted to utilize architectural strategies to take the views to a new level and give the home a characteran ethosthat would captivate all who entered.

Upon entering the home, the eye is immediately drawn to the full panel of windows and the views beyond.

Woods drew inspiration from the first time he entered the Pantheon and looked up, hoping to create a similar emotional reaction in visitors.

Dangaran describes it like this: "We were trying to reduce the noise and let these spaces be filled by the landscape, sun, furniture, and the energy of the occupantall those things come in and fill in the architecture, which serves as the background."

Clear Oak Residence is nearly hidden by the landscape, which makes this home a true retreat from the hubbub of the city. A Genesis GV80 sits surrounded by lush landscaping.

The experiential design begins outside the home in an arrival sequence meant to produce a feeling of relaxation.

"When you walk up to Clear Oak, you come in from the entry gate, walk past this beautifully finished carport, and then reach a garden area which has mature bamboo plants and other low-water landscaping, before you pass a water feature which trickles," explains Robert.

The warm wood of the front door, leather sheath on the brass handle, and glass panel set an inviting and relaxing tone for the home.

Visitors enter through a large teak front door with a custom-made brass handle wrapped in an exquisite leather sheath, and find their attention drawn immediately to the sky. It shines through glass doors that spread across the entire back wall. The infinity pool, plant-filled backyard, and mountainsframed by white poles and an outdoor overhangdraw one forward to stand under the warmth of the sun that shines through a roof puncture on the outdoor patio.

An aperture in the roof draws the eye skyward upon entering the backyard.

The puncture, which acts as a sundial throughout the day, is one of many creative window elements found throughout the house. Whether its a skylight that mirrors a 15-foot kitchen island, an expanse of glass in the bedroom, or a glazed wall on one side of a narrow hallway, these transparent layers guide the eye upward, evoking the fascination that the ancient Greeks and Romans had with the mysteries of the sky.

Homeowner Robert Galishoffs background in fashion and design shines through in the homes artwork, lighting, and furniture selection.

"Were interested in the sky, and were connected to the skywhether thats an interior experience or an exterior experience," says Dangaran.

To maximize the effect, Robert, Woods, and Dangaran conducted sun studies to see exactly how the sun and shadows might display inside depending on their choice of window placements or structural framing.

Travertine tile flooring was used inside and outside the Clear Oak Residence to create visual consistency.

Woods notes, "The views are obvious. Theres mountains. Theres canyons. There's a bunch of beautiful trees. I think were challenging an obvious view by saying, Look up and look at the sky, and lets frame this moment."

To create a flow through the house and draw the eye to the skylights or glass windows, the architects utilized a simplified palette of materials: anodized aluminum, teak, plaster, and travertine.

The skylight and floor-to-ceiling glass windows invite nature into the bathing area of the bathroom.

"Youll see that the interior floors and the exterior floors are all travertine," said Dangaran. "When the doors are open, theres a physical consistency." The travertine guides the eye beyond the glass barrier to the outside, and in the bathroom, its used in a wall behind the tub to draw the eye to a skylight above.

The architects were mindful to include materials like teak and travertine that would hold up against the strong Southern California sun.

As for the use of teak, Robert explains that it was chosen because its a strong and durable wood that stands up against the Southern California elements, while also bringing warmth and elegance to the midcentury home.

"When you're in Rome, travertine is everywhere," says Robert, noting that if it lasted in Rome for centuries, it would last in the Clear Oak residence too. "Travertine and teak were obvious choices here for longevity and for beauty, not for value."

Where some people find joy escaping to the beach or canyon, Robert Galishoff finds the same sense of adventure and discovery in his home.

The use of teak and travertine, which is broken up by white plaster walls and artworks from Roberts extensive collection, creates a seamless design thats beautiful without being what Robert calls "showy:" "Im not showy, the architects style isnt showy, and midcentury architecture is everything but showythe genesis of that design theme was really modern materials used in economical ways."

The glass wall makes this narrow hallway look larger than it is.

The result is a home that has character at every turn, like a wine room hidden behind a solid door, brass detailing on teak walls for hanging art, and creative landscaping strategies that make the backyard look larger than it is.

Wonderous views can be enjoyed from the lounge chairs that line the infinity edge pool.

"The house is a peninsula, floating above the city. You can see the freeway in the distance and the mountainsbut you dont feel like youre exposed, because the landscape is so protective. You dont feel like youre on a hillside," said Woods.

The pools infinity edge creates the illusion that the home floats above the San Fernando Valley.

Instead, you feel far from the busy streets of Los Angeles, drifting away from the ground and closer to Helioss chariot as it crosses the sky.

Robert explores the new Genesis GV80 with his dog, Tony.

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You Can Almost Touch the Sky in This Renovated Midcentury Home in L.A. - Dwell