California Poppy House, a world of design rooted in L.A.
A floral silhouette cut into the second-floor aluminum screen creates a facade that wins second looks from passersby in Venice. Red accents on the ground floor of the house, designed by architect-owners Jonathan Ward and Jin Ah Park, reappear elsewhere, including on another aluminum panel visible from the interior courtyard. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Jonathan Ward and Jin Ah Park drew inspiration from a backpacking trip around the world, but their new Venice house remains an expression of California living, starting with the state flower as a running design motif. Full article
Just inside the front door, Ward and Park played with height. The ceiling that’s 19 feet in the living room scales down to about 8 feet in the dining area (at right) and kitchen and guest room (out of frame), making those spaces feel more intimate. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The public areas were conceived as one long, flowing space with white oak flooring and abundant natural light and fresh air thanks to free-flowing connections to the outside. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The view looking back toward the front of the house, with Jin Ah Park and husband Jonathan Ward on the courtyard that brings light and breezes to the heart of the home. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
In the dining area between the living room and kitchen, walnut cabinets are a dance on the walls, adding some levity to the design while creating a place to display trinkets. Mega Bulb pendant lights by Sofie Refer drop down over a dining table designed by the Swiss studio Nystrom Persia and bought at Huset on nearby Abbot Kinney Boulevard. The Fold chairs were designed by Rodrigo Torres for manufacturer Poliform. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Detail of the cabinetry, arranged so it creates display niches of varying sizes.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The opposite view, looking back toward the living area. With the Fleetwood sliding glass doors open the boundary between inside and outside practically disappears. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
And the ground-level view from the courtyard, showing the transition from dining area to kitchen. The poppy motif reappears on an aluminum screen outside the library upstairs. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The reverse view, looking back toward the kitchn, with Ward playing bass. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Cantilevered steel provides the support for white oak treads leading to the second floor. The oak flows up and down but never touches the ground. “It’s light but it’s grounded at the same time,” architect Jonathan Ward said. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The Coral pendant light by New Zealand designer David Trubridge hangs over the steps. Park noted how the design looks like “the feathery leaves of the poppy plant.” (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
At the top of the stairs is son Jonah’s room, where a pocket sliding glass door provides abundant light and a visual connection with the courtyard below. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Built-in bookcases accommodate the couple’s collections. The room acts as home office as well as drawing room for Jonah. The photo is taken from the glass wall facing the courtyard; another aluminum screen splashes the silhouette of poppies across the floor. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Desks across one wall of the study. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
At the end of the second floor, the poppy motif visible from the street creates patterns of light in the master bedroom. At left, out of screen, as pass-through looks down onto the living room below. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Light and shadow, shifting with the sun. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Ward and Park built their own bath cabinetry to get the storage they needed and the look they wanted. Lower privacy glass and a skylight bring more light to the space. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The courtyard once again, with the California poppy motif at the heart of the home.
