The Crestview Canyon Home

“We can't be limited ... we need to know we can do something if we want to.” This is how Dagan Koffler (Dagan Design & Construction, Inc.) describes his mindset before every project, and that was especially true for this Mediterranean-coastal home. The 3,200 square-foot space plus guest house was designed by architect Eric Olsen to rest on a cresting California plateau with panoramic views overlooking a canyon near the ocean. Every inch needed to live up to an elevated feel, which led to a “super custom” project, according to Koffler.

This meant adding trees to the landscape, building a slate rooftop and limestone walls, and using E-Series windows and patio doors with raw oak interiors. These windows and doors not only matched the wood ceilings and floors, but they also captured the expansive views with their custom sizes and would withstand the saltwater sea breeze with their anodized aluminum exteriors. “You're not losing anything as far as quality,” Koffler said when comparing the E-Series to steel. “Actually, you're probably getting a better functioning window with better thermal integration.”

To really bring out the clean, coastal aesthetics with the windows and doors, Koffler used a bleaching technique on the oak interiors and installed them with a kerf-jamb. “[The kerf-jamb] is a really good way to bridge that modern-traditional look,” he says.

If it's possible for a home to match the natural beauty of this coastal environment, Olsen, Koffler and interior designer Studio McGee have pulled it off. “I think it's a true testament to the house,” Koffler says about the customizations. “Once you walk in, it's like, whoa.”