“The goal was a yard with easily defined layers,” says Evens, who collaborated with landscape designer Frances Knight. “These layers create a sequential progression from the indoors to the outdoors, taking you from private interior spaces to more public outdoor spaces. The idea is that you meander out of the house and onto the main terrace, and then down the steps to the pool and pool house.”

Taking advantage of California’s agreeable climate, Evens placed a loggia at the back of the house to shelter a permanent outdoor dining room and a wood-burning fireplace. The preserved eucalyptus trees at the perimeter of the yard form a wall of green, helping to enclose the yard. All together the elements of this water-focused outdoor space merge beautifully with a house that will surely be enjoyed for many years.

Located at the far end of the yard and designed to differ from the main house both in style and materiality, the pool house resembles a rural building, with its low-profile façade of Santa Barbara sandstone rubble masonry and distressed Douglas fir trellis. The structure houses a full bath and shower, a changing room and a storage area.