
How to Create Luxurious Yet Liveable Spaces with Woods + Dangaran
Luxurious and liveable spaces can be deemed opposing, however architects Brett Woods and Joseph Dangaran of Los Angeles-based firm Woods + Dangaran prove both ideas can work in harmony to create emotive and architecturally resonant places to live.
In their high-end residential work, Woods + Dangaran employ various tactics to elevate the experience of a home, ensuring it’s both luxurious and liveable. One of their earliest considerations in this pursuit is the entryway. At Nightingale Residence in Los Angeles, a rooftop Japanese garden, a jacaranda tree and a dramatic descent into the main living area transform the arrival into a layered, spatial experience.
Secondly, Woods + Dangaran suggest using a hero material in multiple applications and formats for maximum impact. Nightingale Residence features Turkish travertine throughout, and the effect is highly compelling. Used on the floors, walls, fireplaces and more, this earthy natural stone adds warmth and character, countering the coldness often associated with modern homes and bringing a distinct identity to the interiors.
“I think this home really hits the top level of luxury because we didn’t just use travertine in one location, we’ve used it in a variety of locations and different aspects of the architecture of this home,” says Woods. “We didn’t just stop at a wall or a floor. We really wanted to carry it throughout to really hit you over the head with it and to make sure that concept was consistent.”
Programming is equally as important, and the architects advise planning for single-level living, even in a larger, multi-storey home. Nightingale Residence places all the primary living areas on one level, so that the residents can live with ease and effortlessness. However, they have the luxury of a gym and wellness centre on the lower level when required.
At Nightingale Residence in Los Angeles, a rooftop Japanese garden, a jacaranda tree and a dramatic descent into the main living area transform the arrival into a layered, spatial experience.
Creating private spaces for considered experiences is another tool Woods + Dangaran often uses to increase liveability. Intimate spaces like libraries or atriums off primary bedrooms can serve as miniature sanctuaries within the larger architectural framework. At Nightingale Residence, an internal courtyard provides multiple adjoining rooms with increased access to natural light and a connection to the outdoors.
This dovetails into two more crucial directives from Woods + Dangaran – harnessing natural light wherever possible and creating axial relationships. Of the latter, the architects suggest using them to create visual impact and depth. At this light-filled property – where considered apertures and openings create a connection to nature – there is a direct view from the front door through to the landscape at the rear, emphasising flow and scale and enhancing the everyday experience of traversing the home.
Their final recommendation is to create outdoor spaces that celebrate nature. This increases both the level of luxury and feeling of liveability by allowing for a direct rapport to the natural landscape, simultaneously giving residents the ability to spend curated moments outdoors in spaces both shaded and sun-drenched.
Nightingale Residence is the culmination of many of Woods + Dangaran’s essential design principles, which they cultivate continuously in the pursuit of exceptional living. They believe good architecture sits at the intersection of luxury and liveability; that a home can be at once serious and sophisticated but humble enough to cater to the fundamentals of living. It’s a nuanced balance, made achievable thanks to Woods + Dangaran’s time-tested approach and thoughtfully curated set of recommendations.
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Architecture by Woods + Dangaran.