When a young couple relocated from Los Angeles to Silicon Valley to be closer to their work, they used the opportunity to create their first home for their family. Fans of Japanese design, they knew they wanted to incorporate that aesthetic into the residence, while also adding in elements that meshed well with the surrounding structures. Working with the Seattle-based firm SHED Architecture, the couple created a zen, contemporary retreat in Cupertino, near the Apple headquarters.
Outside, white-stucco landscape walls blend in with the Mediterranean-style houses that dot the neighborhood. The second story, though, is wrapped in Japanese-inspired black shou sugi ban, and there’s a slatted wood entry gate that shepherds you into a welcoming courtyard. From here, you walk into the central genkan, a recessed space where you take off your shoes before entering the rest of the home.
Inside, sliding glass doors open to private interior-facing courtyards—this sort of indoor-outdoor living is reminiscent of that in the Eichler homes found nearby. (Joseph Eichler kept a personal home in Silicon Valley, too, which hit the market last year for $6.4 million.) The open main floor is clad in calming white oak, which has been used for custom built-ins that serve as functional yet design-forward storage spaces. The decor is relatively spare, allowing the natural materials to shine and emphasizing clever design tricks like the dining-table bench built into the back of the kitchen island.
A skylit stairwell takes you up to the smaller second floor, where the sleeping quarters are found. The primary bedroom is paired with a so-called wet room, which features slate tiling and an Ofuro wood Japanese soaking tub. The children’s rooms, meanwhile, all have their own loft area, so that the couple’s kids have space for play. Out back, there’s a covered engawa, a traditional Japanese porch that hovers slightly off the ground.
While the couple put minimalistic design front and center, they also prioritized energy efficiency, and the home exceeds net-zero energy targets. Passive House strategies were implemented throughout, and there’s rooftop solar with battery storage, high-efficiency heat pumps, and electric car chargers, among other features. It’s the sort of high-tech design you’d expect to find in Silicon Valley, blended with calming touches that likely stand out among the more traditional homes on the block.
Click here to see all the images of the Silicon Valley home.
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