We’re Obsessed With Henry Golding’s Minimalist Outdoor Living Space

In this space, which has a custom curvilinear seat made of concrete that was cast in place and an adjoining wood bench, the family and their guests can gather around the central fireplace. In addition, the stone and stainless steel kitchenette, equipped with a grill and full prep station, offers time-saving conveniences that allow the family to interact with others while dining alfresco. “It’s great to have this new appliance to add to my repertoire,” Henry quips. “It also minimizes cooking and prep to one outdoor area, keeping the house clean from the usual scents, oils, and whatnot.” Many of the design features were developed to enable the family to seamlessly exist between spaces, making the most of the temperate Los Angeles weather as well as the property’s 530-square-foot raised deck, which is sustainably constructed of postconsumer and reclaimed wood. “We really wanted to create a home that felt like one whole and complete space,” Henry adds.

Design firm OWIU has spent years refining its practice through a collection of dwellings across L.A., including its most recent project near Mount Washington, a midcentury-modern restoration. Helmed by Amanda Gunawan and Joel Wong, the firm was brought onto the project by Henry and Liv shortly after closing on escrow.  A prominent feature of the outdoor area, which finds inspiration in Japanese onsens, is a spa structure. Borrowing from the Japanese word komorebi, which describes the visual sensation of sunshine filtering through the trees, a modular 18-foot-tall slatted wood covering obscures the jacuzzi and outdoor shower while still allowing the diffusion of sunlight. As a result, the spa maintains an intrinsic natural feeling and is an integral piece of ornamentation within the overall space.