This California Home Is a Mountain Hideaway With Wood-Burning Fireplaces and an Infinity-Edge Pool

This California home might be gigantic in scale but its soothing use of natural wood, wood-burners and a seamless indoor-outdoor connection you'd think you were in a woodland cabin.

Southern California offers more than just Hollywood bling and beachside drama. On the north side of the Santa Monica Mountains, Encino is celebrated for its Mid-century modernism, home to 1950s post-and-beam gems by renowned architects like Quincy Jones, Richard Dorman and Martin Gelber. In this inspiring setting, designer Lidan Sfadia has created a residence that pairs clean contemporary lines in this California home.

Spread over 690 square metres, the five-bedroom, six-bedroom residence unfolds into two distinct wings. One serves as the heart of the home with the main living areas including a gourmet kitchen, while the other is a dedicated retreat for work and play, featuring a home theatre, office and gym. To embrace the year-round California sun, the interiors flow seamlessly into an alfresco dream: a poolside cabana with a wood-burning fireplace, a sparkling infinity-edge spa and a refreshing outdoor shower.

Indoor and outdoor living is seamless; the indoors keeps its cosy feel and the outdoors remains wide, open and disconnected enough to still feel like a retreat.

“We were given a large setback from the street, which challenged me to get creative with the yard,” Sfadia remembers. “I decided to place a courtyard at the centre as you enter, making the outdoor space feel immediately usable. I also added steel sliders to the front to complement its large, gated, and private setting, and designed a water feature with a seating area off the formal living room.”

Views are inviting from almost every room in the house, on both levels – a feat that is architecturally considerate and intelligent.

Crackling wood-burners, chocolate suede seats and boucle arm chairs are romantic substitutes for wild-outdoor living.

By combining European white oak for both the flooring and the bespoke cabinetry, marble for the fireplace mantel with rounded edges making it a sculptural piece, and antique brass Watermark fixtures, the material palette bridges the gap between Mid-century heritage and modern luxury. Finished with antique brass Watermark fixtures, every detail was chosen to foster what designer Lidan Sfadia calls an "elegant and timeless ambiance.” “I wanted to create a soothing atmosphere where the design feels effortless,” Sfadia explains. “Every room needed to be inviting and intimate.” To achieve this, the designer moved away from the typical open floor plan, opting instead for distinct, intentional rooms that flow into one another — proving that a large-scale California home can still feel like a private sanctuary.

Symmetry is key to provide a feeling of serenity throughout the house.

Beds are draped in natural linen, jute and cotton rugs cushion the feet and natural wood bedside tables never compete for attention.

“We chose warm whites, natural oak and light taupe to create a look that is easy on the eyes yet deeply warm and inviting,” says Sfadia who layered soft linen drapery against rich wood to play with light and shadow. In this sun-drenched sanctuary, quiet luxury is the guiding principle. Several influences subtly intertwine, creating the perfect balance. “From my travels all over the world, I drew on a heavy European influence in the design,” Sfadia explains. “I also looked to the barn-style estates of Napa (in Northern California). It starts with a crushed limestone driveway, which immediately evokes the feel of a winery.” Meticulous to the smallest detail, this serene home is an invitation to slow down, perfectly insulated from the city’s hustle and bustle.

“I wanted to create a soothing atmosphere where the design feels effortless.” Lidan Sfadia

Bathrooms are dimly lit sanctuary's dressed in ancient earth tones, dried eucalyptus sits in an earthenware vessel on a marble-slab sink.