West Coast Modern

Book excerpt: Breathtaking home designs that fit perfectly into the unique landscape of the West. Architects and designers are breaking new ground on the West Coast, incorporating tested ideas with modern technologies, materials, and concepts in thrilling and sustainable designs. This collection of more than 25 inspiring residences by such renowned western architects and interior designers as Ricardo and Victor Legorreta, Tom Kundig, Jim Jennings, Steven Ehrlich, Marmol Radziner, Aidlin Darling, Paul Wiseman, Terry Hunziker, and Gary Hutton showcases large and small homes that respond to the deserts, mountains, plains, and coastlines of the West. The sculptural forms and elegant interiors are at once both urban and rural, open to the outdoors, and always contemporary, comfortable, and stylish. Zahid Sardar is a San Francisco editor and writer specializing in architecture, interiors, and design. His work has appeared in Dwell, Interiors, Interior Design, California Home & Design, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and the San Francisco Chronicle. He teaches design history at the California College of the Arts and has written several books, including San Francisco Modern and New Garden Design. Matthew Millman has photographed architecture and interior design in the western United States for the past 20 years. His work has appeared in Dwell, Architectural Digest, and the New York Times, as well as the design titles Concrete Countertops, Concrete at Home, and Model Making.