Malibu Composition
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A house in Malibu, California, by Michael Graves is on "a constricted site," he says. "There needs to be a kind of decompression from the highway to the beach." The entrance courtyard provides privacy from the road.
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In the oceanfront living area, as in the rest of the house, Graves designed most of the furniture and lighting. The French doors open onto the terrace. On the far wall is Voice 2 , 1982, a lithograph by Jasper Johns; his Two Maps II , 1966, is over the mantel. Carpet by Stark.
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The rotunda rises to the second floor, where double doors open to the master bedroom. "It's also a central element that leads to the oceanfront living/dining room," Graves explains. "Then the views are revealed."
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The dining area features a built-in bar/cabinet in figured maple. "It balances the fireplace in the living area at the opposite end of the room," says Graves. On the wall is an undated etching by Matisse, Nadia au Profile Aigue . Tiffany's china; Steuben vase. Stark rug.
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The master bedroom has northern and western exposures. "The round window was designed to frame the view of a peninsula up the coast," the architect points out. Off-white and soft green were used for the buildings as a cool counterpoint to the strong sunlight. Stark carpet.
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The entrance hall/rotunda. Steuben vase.
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A guesthouse, with copper awnings, was added after the acquisition of the adjacent property. "The guesthouse is recessed to give the main living pavilion views of the garden and coastline," notes Graves. "The vaulted screening room acts as a buffer between them."
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In an adjoining structure is a screening room.
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The beachfront façade. "I wanted light to be reflected inside as much as possible," says Graves. He placed the house at the same level as the seawall and chose copper roofing and cedar siding for their resistance to the effects of salt air and humidity.