- Interior
- Architecture & development
On a beautiful plateau, high up on a ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains and with phenomenal views of the Pacific Ocean, is this elemental design that reinforces the connection with nature on a large scale and embraces the sculptural rock formations.
The Californian firm Sant Architects was founded by Michael J. Sant in 1922. The architect's designs stand for elementary geometry, carefully chosen window openings and are always in harmony with nature. His recent projects include both residential and commercial buildings. This time Michael designed an L-shaped summer stay named Saddle Peak House that offers both indoor and outdoor living. 
Sublime and timeless outdoor stay in Southern California.
Perched high in the coastal mountains of Topanga, California is this project, a two-storey, four-bedroom holiday home surrounded by sublime geometry and clean lines. Designed by Michael van Sant Architects, this mid-century style house blends in with its dramatic natural surroundings.
Built primarily with iron beams, monolithic concrete slabs, wood and glass, Saddle Peak House displays a special composition of texture and light. Thanks to the expansive walls of glass, the interior is flooded with natural light while offering panoramic views of the ocean, the mountains and nearby Catalina Island. The main room of the holiday home is located on the first floor overlooking the infinity pool and surrounding gardens. There is also a smart, slide-away fireplace, fully equipped kitchen and dining area. Like the other parts of the house, this floor also has sliding doors that present the different perspectives of the property. In addition to the main bedroom on the ground floor, there are three more bedrooms on this floor.
The palette of materials has been deliberately limited to minimise distractions and harmonise the overall experience. The wood of the floors and walls is accented by colour accents of the furniture in bright blue, red, purple and yellow. Michael Sant carefully chose the furniture, combining creations by Hans Wegner, Stefan Diez and Jasper Morrison. Sant Architects created this stunning escape to bring contemporary style closer to nature. You get the feeling of being completely immersed in the landscape. 
This is a truly perfect holiday home for architecture lovers and we’re not surprised it’s part of the collection of unique destinations offered by the online travel platform Welcome Beyond.
Photography by Joe Fletcher