Los Angeles, CA

Charles and Ray Eames's iconic 1949 house in Pacific Palisades, California, inspired the airy, industrial feel of this home. Architect Barton Myers calls this project "an elegant warehouse," referring to the structural steel frame that keeps the interior uncluttered and loftlike.

The most innovative elements are the glass-and-aluminum roll-up doors ― like you'd see at a gas station ― that form the south-facing walls of the living area and kitchen. When open, the walls disappear, fully connecting house and garden.

A band of clerestory windows runs along the northern, neighbor-facing side of the house to provide visual balance and maintain privacy.

Great idea Use uplights on exterior posts. Small cylindrical uplights placed near the bottom of frame-supporting posts add a beam of light to what would otherwise be a dark spot when the house is lit at night.

DESIGN  Barton Myers Associates, Los Angeles (310/208-2227)