3.10.23 | DIGS.NET 53
P R O F I L E | J O H N L U M A R C H I T E C T U R E
"We wanted to create
a sense of intrigue and
discovery as the client
is a curious person,"
says the architect.
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avid collector of proto-modernist furniture.
John Lum Architecture needed to reflect
all this through the home.
"We had to meld modern, eastern Euro-
pean and Japanese aesthetics together
into a cohesive design," says Lum. "The
client brought along an eclectic furni-
ture collection, ranging from Streamline
Moderne to 1950s Cubism, that he wanted
to incorporate. Given his hectic life, he
really wanted a calm, Zen sensibility that
would act as his personal retreat."
Sited on a steep slope, the house has an
unusual layout in that the entrance to the
house faces the backyard, with an exterior
tunnel entrance with staircase leading up
to a new Zendo-inspired entry garden at
the rear.
"We wanted to create a sense of intrigue
and discovery as the client is a curious
person," says the architect.
The comfortable and inviting atmosphere
was created using a natural palette
comprising exposed cedar to recall
the Bay Regionalist style of returning to
nature; teak to give the interiors a richness
and complement the golden accent colors
such as the brass plated chimney and the
complex-patterned marble island face;
and burned shou sugi ban to add a serene
quality to the house; with pops of primary
colors.
"We backlit the orange Chroma panels for
the wet bar area to set a swanky tone for
the den, offset with a custom brass mantle
that showcases a Chinese dragon," says
Lum. For the architect, this house epito-
mizes "California modernism with wabi-
sabi flair and a touch of glam."
https://johnlumarchitecture.com/
