DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
Issue link: https://www.southbaydiggs.com/i/616623
12.18.2015 | DIGS.NET 57 What is Thoughtful Design? Thoughtful Design is our signature philosophy. It encompasses practices ranging from spatial layout and engineering to the most nuanced and imperceptible details that enhance living and make a home truly comfortable to live in. All of this is delivered in a home that is both visually striking and uniquely artful. Can you describe some examples of how you integrate Thoughtful Design into your work? One example is the way we integrate functional elements into the flow of a home to maximize convenience without detracting from a home's beauty. The spa pool at a recently completed home is covered by a retractable raised deck. It's accessible at the touch of a button when you want it, yet entirely out of sight when not in use. To facilitate outdoor entertaining, a bi-fold window opens to access a kitchen-sourced service counter. This is now both your cocktail party bar and snack counter for passing hot dogs to hungry kids in the pool. In another home, we created a secondary 'dirty' kitchen hidden behind an alluring trick wall in the primary kitchen. When you entertain, your guests may congregate near the kitchen, but the dirtiest mess remains out of sight. Kitchens are such a central and vital hub of any home. What is your process when designing and building kitchens? I am trained as a chef. I completed epicurean school in my early twenties. While I no longer cook professionally, [cooking] remains one of my greatest passions, and I cook almost every night. I know from experience what makes a kitchen hum, and I design kitchens that I would want to cook in myself. Can you describe another signature feature of your work? Bringing the outdoors in is paramount. I emphasize seamless indoor/outdoor living spaces that embrace our coastal atmosphere any time of year. Proper window scale and placement directs natural light and vistas from multiple vantage points. I also love to create unique atria using distinctive water features and greenery. Something as simple as a well-crafted light well can bring a complete and transformative effect to an otherwise dormant space. After 25 years in the industry, what do you think distinguishes design+build by South Swell from other firms? Every home that I design is my most important home because I am totally engaged in the process from conception to completion. As a South Bay resident, I understand intimately the importance of creating an inviting yet private refuge on compressed lot sizes with close proximity to neighbors. As a father of four and avid cook who lives life to the fullest, I appreciate the importance of creating spaces that allow families to find both sanctuary and community under one roof. My connection to every detail of every home is as authentic as it gets. design+build by South Swell After 25 years in the design and build industry, Steve Lazar of design+build by South Swell applies the epicurean education he received in his twenties, along with his passion for cooking and innovative Thoughtful Design savvy, to engineer singular indoor and outdoor spaces. 5,775 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths Ocean views, retractable deck with massive rooftop spa, media room, kids lounge & study areas 6 5 9 3 0 T H S T R E E T, H E R M O S A B E A C H A COASTAL PALETTE AND WRAPAROUND WINDOWS BRING WARMTH TO THIS MODERN MASTER BEDROOM. A BI-FOLD WINDOW ENABLES EFFORTLESS SERVICE BETWEEN THE KITCHEN AND OUTDOOR GUESTS.