The design inspiration for this 1978 home tucked canyon-side on a Westlake hill comes from a very specific place: Sea Ranch, a planned community on the coast in Northern California’s Sonoma County.
It was there, in the 1960s, that architects developed what came to be known as the Sea Ranch style—a modern take on the surrounding local agricultural buildings, made to suit and withstand the weather in their setting and typically consisting of simple timber-frame structures with wooden siding or shingles.
By the time that style made it to Central Texas, it was the 1970s, and, though divorced from its origins, it suits the hilly topography. The Sea Ranch influence on this 3,504-square-foot home is particularly apparent in its exterior, all angled wood siding and massaranduba wood decks.
Set on 1.6 acres in West Lake Hills, it has a tucked-away entrance that opens up into big views of the surrounding landscape, with tiered decks on which to lounge while overlooking them. Inside are four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and updated interiors that include cherrywood floors, cabinetry, and built-ins. There’s a resort style pool sited to maximize views, and it’s probably easy enough to pretend there’s an ocean out there below you.