Designed by Whipple Russell Architects, this luxurious hillside home in Beverly Hills, California, encompasses a 7,500 square feet with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. As hillside design specialists, the Whipple Russell Team sometimes finds it necessary to move mountains –or at least part of one, in order to create a spacious yet intimate modern home.
To accomplish these goals for our Hutton Drive 2641 House, we first cut into the rear hillside to maximize the backyard living space and to site the house further from the street in the front. At the back of the property, two porcelain stone retaining walls create a balcony lounge area with a fire pit and greenery overlooking the saltwater pool, spa, and the entire property, including multiple fire pits and an outdoor kitchen/bar. An Ipe wood walkway bridge leads from this upper seating into the primary suite.
DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECT Whipple Russell Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR Sherman Oaks Home Builders STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Delta Engineering
Front Entry
Strong horizontal lines combined with vertical wooden cladding and ribbon windows bring texture and balance to the front façade of this Beverly Hills home. The ribbon windows are topped with open trellised roofing, adding visual interest and ever-changing shadows. Architect Yoav Weiss describes: “The trellises cover without being solid, so they bring more light into the rooms, especially down into the dining room area. And this helps us provide more living space for the client –because covered patios count towards square feet. “Trellises are repeated along the upper floor, and at the far right, horizontal slats are introduced for a louvered effect.
A Rich and Unified Living Space
The amenities and functionality of the design make living in 7,500 square feet feel like living in 15,000 square feet. This is resort-style comfort living, modern, but not cold. Strong lines that hold soft textures, warm colors, and comfortable places to be, with plenty of natural light.
The plan is organized around an airy staircase volume; note the stair stringers land on the solid walls between the ribbon windows, adding to the floating effect as seen from both inside and out. At the foot of the staircase is a large glass floor panel. Light from the second-floor skylight streams down the staircase to the dining area and through the glass floor, illuminating the lower level.
Surrounding the living, family, and kitchen areas are Fleetwood window walls that open up the entire living area to the patio, pool, and tree line. The kitchen features Miele appliances, marble is used on the island in addition to cool, neutral porcelain flooring, all warmed by wood ceilings.
The living room ceiling is double height, open to the second-floor skylight which illuminates the upstairs bedroom walkway, gallery, and seating area. There are two guest rooms with baths, each with their own sunny balcony.
What We Love: This Beverly Hills home boasts luxurious materials, soaring ceilings, and seamless indoor-outdoor flow. The terraced backyard, saltwater pool, and multiple fire pits create a private, resort-style retreat. Every detail—from the designer kitchen to the lighted onyx bar—reflects elegance and exceptional craftsmanship. A notable feature is the opulent owner’s bedroom suite, complete with a private bridge to the upper backyard and a spa-like bathroom adorned with Taj Mahal stone and a lighted onyx vanity.
Tell Us: Would this be your idea of the ultimate California dream house? Let us know why or why not in the Comments below!
Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other fascinating home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign in the state of California: Impressive modern home with awe-inspiring views of the San Gabriel mountains and Spectacular minimalist home carved into the hillside of Los Angeles.
The State-of-the-Art Patio
There is a sophisticated design and engineering element underlying the seamless extension from the indoors to the outdoors, in terms of the flooring. A pedestal decking system is used so that the whole concrete subfloor can be sloping and undulating in all sorts of different directions for the right drainage, but the tiles on top are adjusted to be perfectly level. Instead of the tiles being grouted as they are indoors, there is an open seam at the edges so rain can go down to the concrete subfloor and away. Also, if a piece of tile is damaged or cracked, it can be lifted out and replaced.
The primary suite bedroom looks out over the patio and pool, upper lounge deck, and trees beyond. A motif of beiges, browns, and jet-black play against the crisp whites of the recessed ceiling and the inviting curvilinear furniture. All is warmed by a rough stone fireplace.
Two skylights brighten the bath, one positioned over the double steam shower and a larger one over the sink vanity, featuring Taj Mahal stone countertops and Gessi wall-mounted fixtures. Adjacent is the elegant dressing room with a lighted onyx counter topping the island.
The walk-in closet is complete with LED-lit cabinets and a lighted onyx countertop.
Lower Level
Creating a below-grade level entertainment space has become another Whipple Russell specialty. Easier to cool in hot climates, from intimate and cozy, to lavish and dazzling, these grownup playgrounds are in demand. The Hutton design includes an onyx bar and spacious lounge area with. 150-bottle wine storage, a home theater system with fabric wall coverings for excellent sound, and an exercise studio and spa.
PHOTOGRAPHER Adam Latham
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