Blaisdell Residence

Henry Hill was committed to the use of wood and interested in the ways it could be used and finished. He painted the plywood panels of the fence and exterior walls different shades of blue, mixing the wooden units with clear and opaque glass. The front door painted red for a contrasting highlight. A classic representative of Californian modernism, the courtyard—or outdoor living room—is literally the center of the structure. Hill imbued his design with spirited colors and added a freestanding screen of oak poles to define the dining room and direct movement toward the living room.

The gardens were planned concurrently with the house and consisted of the walkway and entrance on the east, the paved courtyard and lawn accessible from every room of the house bordered by trees and shrubs, and the small garden outside Mr. Blaisdell’s studio.