AD Home Tours
A Contemporary Home Shaped by Heritage and Materials
A custom Los Altos Hills residence by Fergus Garber Architects has been featured in Architectural Digest, highlighting a contemporary California home designed for family life, gathering, and a close connection to the outdoors. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, the project reflects the firm’s approach to custom residential architecture, with a clear framework that supports both daily use and larger moments of entertaining.
Set within one of the Peninsula’s most established residential communities, the home draws on a simple, barn-inspired form. The massing is direct and restrained, allowing proportion and light to shape the experience of the spaces. At the center of the plan is a vaulted great room that brings together the kitchen, dining, and living areas. This primary space acts as the heart of the house, where scale and continuity create openness without losing comfort.
The design begins with organization and flow. Spaces are arranged to feel connected rather than compartmentalized, with circulation that moves naturally from one area to the next. Large openings extend the interior outward, linking the house to the surrounding garden and outdoor living areas. This indoor-outdoor connection is central to the architecture, supporting both everyday routines and larger gatherings.
Material choices reinforce this sense of continuity. The architectural palette is intentionally restrained, relying on wood, stone, and plaster to establish a consistent backdrop. Within that framework, interior finishes introduce warmth and variation, building on the clarity of the structure rather than competing with it. In the great room, wood detailing, stone surfaces, and integrated cabinetry work together to create a calm and cohesive environment.
As described in Architectural Digest, the interiors bring additional depth through a palette of earthen tones and tactile materials. These selections reflect the homeowners’ backgrounds and preferences, adding richness and familiarity to the spaces. Marble, brass, and custom wood elements are used with care, contributing to a sense of balance.
The home was designed to support a young family, with spaces that can adapt over time. Bedrooms and private areas are balanced with more open gathering spaces, allowing the house to function comfortably across a range of uses. Furnishings and finishes are selected for durability, ensuring the home remains livable without losing its sense of refinement.
The project was developed through a collaborative process, with architecture, interiors, and construction considered together from the outset. A vaulted great room anchors the plan and opens to the garden on both sides, while a restrained palette of wood, stone, and plaster carries through the house. The result is a home that supports both daily life and larger gatherings without losing a sense of clarity.
Its nature-inspired palette is punctuated with deep orange, olive and rust colours, combining two different styles. Mixing custom and off-the-peg furnishings, it’s also a lesson in how to do high-low decor.