Portside Residence
Luxurious but not opulent, considered but not dull, custom-crafted yet restrained, this is the interplay Las Vegas-based architect Daniel Joseph Chenin has masterfully achieved with Portside Residence, a waterfront home in La Jolla, California.
A refined homage to the California ranch merged with Eastern Asian influences, Portside Residence is a quiet single-storey home clad in warm marble and shou sugi ban siding overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Due to California Coastal Commission regulations, the original 1950s structure couldn’t be entirely rebuilt, so Daniel Joseph Chenin and the team meticulously took it down to the studs and planned a refresh within the existing footprint. Its courtyard massing captures prevailing breezes, while its form is an elevated homage to eras past. Inside, sophisticated interiors and hospitality-leaning quarters combine with natural materials, spatial flow and architecture that encapsulates the allure of beachside living.
For the architect, maximising natural light was critical. Morning light enters the home’s secluded courtyard, imparting a sun-kissed radiance, while moments of compression and expansion open the layout through inviting surprise. Throughout the day, shifting light dances across the surfaces from the kitchen’s sculptural island – a solid carved piece of onyx that mimics the ocean’s waves – to the powder bathroom’s steel porthole mirror reflecting a school of fish and the primary bathroom encased in flowing marble.
The home’s main living spaces feature forms and textiles inspired by the hues of Southern California sunsets, many of which were specified especially for the home. “The colors of the sunset (reds, oranges, and pinks) are amazing and influenced the palette. I thought about how the sun tracks the site and wanted to pull that warmth into the architecture,” Chenin says. The softness and attention to detail given to the interiors provide an ethereal presence to the jewel-box like structure.
The dining alcove features a built-in banquette and circular port window for a beloved view of the curve of the peninsula. To make it as immersive as possible, Chenin considered the space’s sounds, feel and views as part of the overall experience. Similarly, the primary bathroom frames views of the courtyard beyond, while the guest spaces are equally inviting and swathed with custom works and luxe fabrics.
Portside Residence is a home deeply attuned to its surroundings and the lives of its inhabitants. “This was one of our smoothest projects,” recalls the architect. “What we presented and showed in the renderings is what we built verbatim.”
