Ocean-Front Living Guides The Design Of A Soulful California Home

We had a special kind of freedom designing this home, because this was a moment of introducing a family to a new chapter in their life,” says Adam Hunter. “It became a rare opportunity to do what was really in my heart.” The deeply intuitive interior designer and former Broadway actor keenly understands transformation—and the power of a dramatic backdrop—but to Hunter, this was more than just putting together beautiful spaces. “It was about creating a feeling of being wrapped up in something, of being cocooned,” he muses.

The clifftop Palisades property overlooking the ocean above the Pacific Coast Highway is anchored with caissons, but Ignacio Rodriguez’s open plan is a celebration of light and air. “The homeowners wanted a Spanish-style home, but with warm, contemporary interior architecture, clean lines and pared-back details,” the architect explains. Though area design guidelines called for a more traditional Spanish exterior, Rodriguez gave the façade a modern expression by wrapping it in textured limestone and stucco, plus opting for pale oak eaves rather than the more typical dark wood overhangs. “All of the materials Ignacio chose—white oak, Douglas fir, limestone and steel—will weather well, which is an important consideration when you’re this close to the water,” comments general contractor Erik Jensen.

“So many beautiful moments here may seem simple, but we had to really peel back the architecture in order to focus on the views,” Rodriguez remarks. Working with his firm’s lead designer, Eileen Carter, and project manager Jorge Padilla, the architect crafted a series of “wow” moments that begin at the front door, where raised stone planters hold 100-year-old olive trees and an extended foyer reveals a Pacific panorama. The main rooms flow effortlessly into one another, but Rodriguez also gave them subtle definition by varying the ceiling treatments. And a wall of bifold glass doors neatly stack away, allowing all the main spaces to spill into the backyard when they’re open. “Ultimately, the design of this house was simply about getting out of the way of nature,” he says.

Similar to the traditional-meets-modern blend achieved by the façade, the interiors lean transitional, mixed with contemporary moments. “My clients wanted a coastal vibe, but not obviously so, and rooms that felt soulful,” says Hunter. Key to his design was an embrace of the exterior’s natural materials, which drift inside, layered with eye-catching interior stonework like the kitchen’s expanse of fog-inspired quartzite. “It gives the open kitchen more gravitas, and also makes it feel like it’s floating,” he notes. Then, in the living room, a fireplace wall clad in a striking violet-and-white marble commands attention. “That slab is enormous in scale, a real Jack and the Beanstalk moment,” quips Hunter, pointing out a favorite detail: Art Deco-style “steps” that frame the mantel. But the designer also integrated softer forms within the spaces, realized through sculptural pieces like the foyer’s concave pendants—“They’re voluminous yet almost disappear,” he notes—and plush, curved furnishings upholstered with textural wools, mohairs, linens and leathers.

“This house is all about emotional integration,” the designer continues. “You can feel as one in this place—it’s a respite and a retreat.” The ethereal dining room is a case in point with its mesmeric hand-painted walls and ceiling. “The effect is somewhere between a Monet painting and a cloudy sky, and you feel completely transported,” describes Hunter. “It’s magical at night.” The home’s bedrooms are equally immersive, with the designer choosing “gentle colors”—soft whites and creams, peachy-pink sunset hues—a palette also highlighted in the wife’s rose-gold accented home office. And where views haven’t stolen the show, contemporary artworks chosen with Brian Ludlow of Creative Art Partners are carefully placed to continue the narrative of the home.

For the rear terrace that stretches out to a serene pool, the designer chose furnishings in keeping with the interior’s light tones and rounded forms, while landscape architect Will Bailey’s plant choices further temper the architecture’s harder lines. “We did lots of different textures and greens because Southern California gardens really need to perform all year,” explains Bailey. “It’s a loose, native coastal palette of grasses, edible natal plums and succulents, made statelier with olive trees and boxwood.” The aesthetic complements what Hunter calls the “restrained drama” of the home. “This house needed a certain balance, and I think we really got it,” he reflects. “The design is very energetic in ways; there’s a real vitality here, but it’s also meditative—and just happy.”

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Editors’ Note: This story highlights a space in the Los Angeles region impacted by the January 2025 wildfires. Please consider donating to LA CAN DO and other relief efforts to help the community rebuild.