We’re Obsessed With Henry Golding’s Minimalist Outdoor Living Space

Airy, soft, and natural are words often used when describing the ultimate188bet亚洲登录 home. In the 1920s, renowned Golden State architect Rudolph Schindler described his own model residence as having “the garden become an integral part of the house. The distinction between indoors and the out-of-doors will disappear.” Today, actorHenry Golding’s Los Angeles homeis a perfect example of this idea. Designed by the studioOnly Way Is Up(OWIU),亨利股他的家和他的妻子,丽芙·Lo, and their one-year-old daughter, Lyla. Their home, which has design influences representative of their mixed heritage background—both partners come from families of Asian and Anglo-European descent—is a blend of cultures, with special attention paid to the outdoor living space.

Henry and Liv’s house, which is enveloped by lush greenery on all sides, is built in harmony with its natural surroundings. “We decided to settle in Los Angeles for work,” Henry says. “But we also felt Los Angeles was a great place to start a family and plant roots. Liv and I have an active lifestyle. We both enjoy the outdoors and wanted to have a space where we could hang out and work out.” Employing the soft texture of pale stone, light wood accents, and an almost invisible separation between the main house and the backyard, the design emphasizes rest and relaxation. “Liv is a yoga and breath work instructor, so we wanted a space where she could take these practices outdoors,” Henry explains. “I love cooking, and we really love hosting our friends for meals, so we wanted an outdoor space we could also entertain in.”

In this space, which has a custom curvilinear seat made of concrete that was cast in place and an adjoining wood bench, the family and their guests can gather around the central fireplace. In addition, the stone and stainless steel kitchenette, equipped with a grill and full prep station, offers time-saving conveniences that allow the family to interact with others while dining alfresco. “It’s great to have this new appliance to add to my repertoire,” Henry quips. “It also minimizes cooking and prep to one outdoor area, keeping the house clean from the usual scents, oils, and whatnot.” Many of the design features were developed to enable the family to seamlessly exist between spaces, making the most of the temperate Los Angeles weather as well as the property’s 530-square-foot raised deck, which is sustainably constructed of postconsumer and reclaimed wood. “We really wanted to create a home that felt like one whole and complete space,” Henry adds.

Design firm OWIU has spent years refining its practice through a collection of dwellings across L.A., including its most recent project near Mount Washington, a midcentury-modern restoration. Helmed by Amanda Gunawan and Joel Wong, the firm was brought onto the project by Henry and Liv shortly after closing on escrow. A prominent feature of the outdoor area, which finds inspiration in Japanese onsens, is a spa structure. Borrowing from the Japanese word komorebi, which describes the visual sensation of sunshine filtering through the trees, a modular 18-foot-tall slatted wood covering obscures the jacuzzi and outdoor shower while still allowing the diffusion of sunlight. As a result, the spa maintains an intrinsic natural feeling and is an integral piece of ornamentation within the overall space.

As Henry and Liv celebrated their daughter’s first birthday in April, Amanda considered the current and future evolution of the family home. “We wanted to incorporate the couple’s lifestyle into the space, and leave parts empty [so it could] grow with them,” she says. “We envisioned Lyla’s baby toys scattered on the floor, evolving to a fort made on the curvilinear seat and a mini playground, in the clear spaces, as she grows up.” During happy recesses between projects and public appearances, like this year’s Met Gala in New York City, Henry can enjoy the quiet and intimacy of seclusion at home, with his family. “The L.A. weather is perfect for a space like this,” he says. “Sometimes Liv and I enjoy a bottle of wine here together. We simply like sitting on the chairs and just hanging out as a family.”