Contemporary Korman Residence in Brentwood by Cory Buckner Architects

Los Angeles based architects Cory Buckner Architect was successfully remodel “Korman Residence” in Brentwood, California. This remodel program included addition of master bedroom, home office interior, a surgeon and painting studio. The new design incorporated a bridge to an entrance at the second floor addition reducing the steps to 44. The former master bedroom on the lower level became one daughter’s room and two small bedrooms at the rear of the house were combined to make a suite for the other daughter. The entire house was impacted by the remodel with most of the house being demolished. The former master suite, kitchen, and dining roof structure remained intact but many interior walls were demolished or reconfigured. Ann was drawn to the postwar post and beam architecture of the modernist era and selected Buckner who specializes in mid-century modernist architecture remodels and restoration.

The architects designed a butterfly roof structure for the second story addition in order to capture light from high clerestory windows that reach up to the ceiling. Some of the window configurations on the original house incorporated posts and worked well with the second story addition designed as an exposed post and beam structure. All bedrooms face patios or decks with sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary of indoor and outdoor space. The finish material palette was kept appropriate for a house tucked into a wooded canyon. The existing house was finished in rough sawn board-and-batt with a composition shingle roof. The new house is clad in new growth cedar tongue and groove siding with a roof covered in slate green gravel. Douglas fir flooring and cabinets were used throughout the project. The countertops are Ceasarstone, tile is either recycled tiles from ModernArc or glass tiles from Ann Sachs. Shortly before demolition began, Ann sold or gave away all of their furniture with the idea of purchasing all new furniture for the project. – Photos by Sunshine Divis