From windswept bluffs and rocky shorelines to wide, sandy beaches and hidden coves, living on the spectacular California coast holds undeniable allure. In their third co-authored book, California Coastal: Seaside Living from Sea Ranch to San Diego (Gibbs Smith Publishing), coming out on June 17, Marin locals Heather Sandy Hebert and Chase Reynolds Ewald share the inspiring stories behind 18 coastal homes. The homes’ architectural styles are as varied as the coastline itself — traditional, modern, rustic and refined — but all embrace and respect the fragile beauty of their natural surroundings.
To kick off the launch, Hebert and Ewald are hitting the road for a series of book signings and events up and down the California coast, including a preview at Anthem San Francisco’s Corte Madera location on June 12 from 5–8 p.m. We spoke to Hebert and Ewald about the inspiration behind the book; how design can enhance indoor-outdoor living on the coast; and why good coastal design necessitates that architects, landscape architects and interior designers act as stewards of the land.
What brought you into the world of design?
Heather Sandy Hebert: We’ve both been in the world of design for nearly our entire working lives. I spent 27 years working in marketing for the San Francisco-based international architecture practice founded by my father. I left in 2017 to write my first book and consult.
Chase Reynolds Ewald: I have a decades-long career as a writer specializing in architecture, design, craft and the American West. I’ve written close to 20 books and countless articles for magazines throughout the West.
How did you meet?
Ewald: We met at the Hivery, a women’s co-working space in Mill Valley, when Heather was working on her first book, and we started talking about collaborating almost immediately. We have a lot in common — we’ve both raised four kids in Marin — as well as similar strengths and writing styles, but our different experiences and backgrounds complement each other, which makes us a strong team. Writing can be a solitary business and having a partner you enjoy working with makes it so much more fun.
What inspired you to write California Coastal?
Hebert: We both live here, write here and are continually inspired by the natural beauty of our state, which is largely defined by its coastline. We’ve written extensively about so many of the creatives we’re fortunate to be surrounded by in Northern California, and we were excited to expand our range to include the work of talented architects, landscape architects, interior designers and contractors as we moved southward down the coast. Quite honestly, this book is a love letter to California and its grand, varied, awe-inspiring coast.
How do you define coastal Californian architecture and design?
Hebert: The California coast is at once jaw-droppingly beautiful and ecologically fragile. It can also be a harsh environment, with weather and wind at their height where the land meets the sea. That said, there are definite through-lines that define the best California coastal architecture and design. The first is sensitivity to site: The best architects embrace the ethos of putting the well-being of the coastal environment at the top of their list of priorities, and welcome the guidelines put in place to protect the coast. The second is an ability to simultaneously embrace the views and protect from environmental conditions, namely sun and wind. A sense of prospect and refuge is a theme that comes up again and again. Attention to materials and landscape that reflect the coastal surroundings, attention to indoor-outdoor living and a strong vision for the slower, more connected life to be lived in these homes are other significant characteristics.
How can design enhance coastal indoor-outdoor living?
Hebert: Perhaps most important is the sense of prospect and refuge. Several of the homes in the book are, quite literally, tucked into their coastal hillside sites, protected by the land itself. Beautifully landscaped courtyards also play a role, providing protected outdoor gathering spaces that are more often than not visually connected to the water by largely transparent living spaces. Landscape design is also important; the best examples seamlessly transition from the planned to natural landscapes and create a sense of journey with mini destinations tucked within the overall landscape.
Can you share some advice for how to avoid design overshadowing the natural environment in a coastal landscape?
Ewald: There are so many great examples of this in our book! The strongest examples of this are homes in Big Sur and Santa Barbara that are quite literally built into their respective sites, such that they’re nearly invisible when viewed from the hillside above. In another of the homes, also in Big Sur, the architect worked to span a natural seasonal stream, leaving the existing landform intact, and echoed the natural forms of the seaside cliffs in the architecture. The result is truly impressive.
During your research, did you notice any regional differences in architectural and design styles on the California coast?
Hebert: We did. The northern and central coastlines are more often characterized by cliffs than beaches. Due either to weather, topography, governmental regulations or a combination of these, they tend to be more sparsely populated. The resulting architecture is formed in response to coastal conditions and topography. To the south, the coastline as it exists today is more densely populated. As a result, the architecture is formed in response to both natural contexts, including views, sun, wind and sand, and constructed contexts like architecture, streets, coastal pathways and sight lines.
Who are some of your favorite classic architects specializing in coastal residences whose work is still relevant today?
Hebert: On the northern coast, the Sea Ranch plays an outsized role in how we approach design and development along the California coast. Architectural firms Moore Lyndon Turnbull Whitaker and Joseph Esherick & Associates, along with landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, shaped our concepts of coastal design in indelible ways, with the concepts of minimal intrusion on the environment, respect for existing landscape and landforms and the use of unfinished natural materials. Their work continues to influence us today, and the Sea Ranch, where we’ll begin our “coastal road trip” book tour this summer, is an enduring favorite. The concept of Coastal Modernism spans from north to south, influenced by the early work of developer Joseph Eichler and architects Richard Neutra and Rudolph Michael Schindler that continues to resonate today.
What are the biggest challenges of designing for California’s coastal environment?
Ewald: The most significant challenges are the fragility of the coast, the restrictions put in place to protect it and the often harsh climatic conditions of the coastal environment itself. The best design solutions, however, embrace these challenges as opportunities.
Why is it important to work in tandem with the goals of the California Coastal Act, passed in 1976 to protect and preserve California’s coastal resources?
Ewald: Without exception, the best architects, landscape architects and interior designers — and all of those featured in our book — view the goals of the California Coastal Act as being in line with their own goals. They themselves act as stewards not only of their clients’ vision, but also as stewards of the land. Every one of them will tell you that coastal restrictions are difficult, but also necessary and important, pushing them creatively toward design solutions that are better for all that they steward.
Lotus Abrams has covered everything from beauty to business to tech in her editorial career, but it might be writing about her native Bay Area that inspires her most. She lives with her husband and two daughters in the San Francisco Peninsula, where they enjoy spending time outdoors at the area’s many open spaces protected and preserved by her favorite local nonprofit, the Peninsula Open Space Trust.
