Inside this Beach Road architectural standout, Summer Jensen of Hawk & Co. created a contemporary sanctuary replete with warm woods, modern furniture and nods to nature.
Summer Jensen tried to maximize the kitchen cabinetry storage under the floating staircase PHOTO BY TOSTI STUDIOS
Head down Beach Road in Capistrano Beach, and the row of light-colored, Nantucket-style beachfront homes will be punctuated by a brazen outlier. “The final exterior finishing really set the house apart from those on the block with its striking black metal cladding,” says principal designer and CEO of Hawk & Co. (hawkandco.com) Summer Jensen, whom the homeowners enlisted to craft the interiors of this four-bedroom sanctuary by Brandon Architects (brandonarchitects.com). “This was a new-build, single-family ground-up on a very eclectic road where numerous different home styles gave us the opportunity to think outside the proverbial box.”
The Beach Road home boasts an open layout and soaring ceilings. PHOTO BY TOSTI STUDIOS
The home certainly caught eyes from the outside. “Brandon Architects skillfully created a very contemporary massing to maximize the square footage of the lot,” Jensen says. “The rectilinear shape and form feels at home on the sand and yet feels like the black sheep of the block.” Having previously collaborated with the homeowners, Jensen had free rein to imagine the interior design. “My aesthetic is known for being minimal but comfortable, with a focus on biophilic design,” she says. “I love to create very simple palettes of neutral colors so that nature’s colors become the prominent focus rather than competing with the outdoor vistas.” One request was that the beach house not feel intimidating or stuffy. “The homeowner wanted a contemporary home that was easy to stroll in off the sand,” she notes.
Step outside the 12-foot sliding doors from the great room to a scenic patio right on the beach. PHOTO BY TOSTI STUDIOS
The sleek kitchen with Absolute Black granite countertops, Fineline Architectural Millwork cabinetry, and Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances opens to a great room flaunting an artisan-etched fireplace and 12-foot sliding doors leading to a patio. Sit on the Camerich sofa to admire views of the ocean or the intricate art. “All of the artwork by Louis Carreon was commissioned for this home early in his career,” Jensen says. “His ‘International Symbols of Travel’ felt like a great fit for the owner’s lifestyle, while other softer, more abstract pieces helped to fill the minimalist space.”
The sleek kitchen, with Absolute Black granite countertops and Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, opens to a great room with an artisan-etched fireplace and a cozy Camerich sofa. PHOTO BY TOSTI STUDIOS
One of Jensen’s biggest challenges was incorporating the mezzanine level, which houses a library. “Already a three-level home, the mezzanine’s split level was an amazing addition but also tricky to design,” says Jensen, who used smoked mirrors throughout the home to reflect the ocean. “The mezzanine was one of those locations where the smoked mirror was used on the back wall and ceiling to help make the space feel larger and taller.”
Head up to the fourth level to find the primary suite, complete with balcony and fireplace PHOTO BY TOSTI STUDIOS
Jensen faced a different dilemma on the fourth level— which boasts a primary suite with a balcony, fireplace, walk-in closet and spalike bathroom. “The primary bedroom and bathroom were an interior architectural puzzle to solve given the full-width sliding window systems,” says Jensen, who used rotating wood slats to bifurcate the bedroom and bath. In order to create separation but also allow for northern views up the coastline from the tub, she ended the wall prior to the windows and incorporated a screen instead. “This gave the homeowner the ability to completely close the tub and shower off when they wanted a private moment, or allow a peekaboo view from the bedroom,” she says. In the primary suite, Jensen used black pops of paint in the chandelier, vanity and plumbing fixtures. “Much like the exterior of the home, we wanted to bring in striking colors to warm up and contrast the view,” she says.
Enjoy northern views up the coastline from the tub PHOTO BY TOSTI STUDIOS
Following the two-year build time, the homeowners loved the end result, which Jensen deems “effortless, edited and sleek.” She notes, “No one element overpowers the other and all still give reference to the ocean, sand and sky.” A natural beauty, indeed.
“I love to create very simple palettes of neutral colors so that nature’s colors become the prominent focus,” Jensen says. PHOTO BY TOSTI STUDIOS
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