34 DIGS.NET
| 1.28.2022
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R E S T O R E D | R O M E R O C A N Y O N
N CONTRAST TO many high-end Los Angeles-based
architects William Hefner isn't beholden to one partic-
ular style. While his homes are distinctly modern, with
their open plan rooms and minimal ornamentation, he's
as adept at washing this serene sheen over French
Provincial, Cape Cod and Georgian structures as he is
at channeling the composure of Case Study-inspired and
post-modern homes. What transforms his projects from
icy to inviting is their spirit of warm livability, the luxury of their
materials and the attention to the small details that can make or
break a project. "Our approach to design really centers on our
clients," he explains, "We listen for their dreams as well as their
practical requirements and how they will actually use a space,
so it's designing from the inside out."
That ethos was amplified when it came time to work on his own
home, a property in Montecito he and his late wife, Kazuko
Hoshino, had purchased as a weekend home. Located on
Romero Canyon Road, its two buildings, a 900 foot bungalow
and a separate stable, were relics of the 1930s, slender and care-
worn, and sat on an acre of land that had long been neglected.
Their original plan had been to do a modest renovation. But,
realizing how important it was to them that the home feel like a
restful retreat from the demands of the outside world, Hefner's
vision expanded. With only him and Hoshino to answer to, it was
a rare opportunity for him to explore his own creativity.
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