![]() “It looks natural and authentic, and it’s very intentional,” Lily observes. Alex even got a workout helping with the arrangement.Ī selection of new botanicals that require minimal irrigation was strategically planted, and the side without the engawa was bordered with curvilinear bamboo fencing by the Elk Grove-based landscape design firm Stroke of Nature. More rocks of varying sizes were added and organized in tiers to direct the flow of a streaming water feature. The project entailed moving massive boulders-a few went to the front yard-and digging out overgrown foliage, including a second cypress tree. Their plan incorporated natural elements of water, wood and rock with a single off-center cypress tree as the anchor. ![]() For guidance, the Wangs brought in a consultant from the century-old Hakone Estate and Gardens, a Japanese garden in Saratoga, California, that’s open to the public. Restoring the Japanese garden to year-round glory was an organic process of trial and error. THE GARDEN The Japanese garden is the accessible from the living room, the kitchen, the primary suite and the guest suite, which was formerly a detached garage. “The walkway blurs the lines of inside and outside,” Ogawa says. The roof’s overhangs were deepened and enclosed with tongue-and-groove cedar soffits to prevent unnecessary heat gain and glare from the sun. The architect kept it as a subtle division between the kitchen and living room.Įxisting glass sliders were enlarged, and new ones were added to heighten the garden’s visibility from almost anywhere in the home. The brick fireplace is original to the house. The built-in wet bar features custom cabinets, countertop by Vadara and backsplash by Naxos. With the glass sliding doors by Fleetwood open, the engawa and dining room merge seamlessly into a single space. The Wangs’ engawa runs in a U-shape along three sides of the garden: on both sides of the living room wing, and outside the primary suite. THE ENGAWA Surrounding the Wangs’ garden is the engawa, a distinctive Japanese wooden porch.Ī key architectural element is the engawa, a wide wooden deck connected to the home and flush with the interior floor. The architects incorporated a number of sustainable features, including solar panels on the roof, a battery backup system and a charging station in the garage for the family’s electric vehicle. A wall of glass sliders opens the space, which doubles as Alex’s home office and guest quarters, to the tranquil garden. The original detached garage became a one-bedroom guest suite with a kitchen and a bath. A new attached garage was built on the street side. That meant flipping the bedrooms and kitchen, and adding a new primary suite with a private outdoor lounging area. OFA principal Hiromi Ogawa says, “Our concept was to surround the garden with public spaces where you spend most of your day.” 4 small bedrooms were packed into the other wing, and a narrow, windowless kitchen was tucked into the vertex. The only room with an advantageous view of the garden was the living room, which took up most of one wing. The original L-shaped floor plan was a maze of small spaces-typical of the era. A REVISED FLOOR PLAN Glass sliding doors by Fleetwood in the living room frame the serenity of the Japanese garden beyond. They found just the team to make it happen in Palo Alto-based Ogawa Fisher Architects, who drew up a whole-house remodel and 3 additions. ![]() “We wanted a true sanctuary for relaxation and hosting,” Lily says. Lily and Alex Wang, with their three children and poodle puppy, Truffle, in their newly remodeled home. Their vision was a seamless indoor-outdoor lifestyle with the restored garden as the centerpiece, along with modern-day functionality and maximum sustainability. The couple also thought the Los Altos home’s midcentury modern aesthetic would pair well with their deep appreciation for Japanese design. The layout wasn’t ideal for their family of 5 (plus a poodle puppy named Truffle), but they fell in love with the remnants of a Japanese garden-which also badly needed a refresh-that the L-shaped home wrapped around. When Lily and Alex Wang bought a 1950s ranch in near-original condition, they knew they were in for significant renovations.
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