Photography by Ye Rin Mok, from Creative Spaces.
The husband-wife founders of Poketo, Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung, have long been champions of the unique and well-designed.
A tousled lawn and black exterior immediately let visitors know this isn’t an average suburban home.
The dark painted exterior is a nod to the age-old Japanese practice of shou sugi ban, which involves essentially torching timber to preserve it.
The house was built in the 1950s; Yanai references the period with mid-century classics like Eames dining chairs and an Eames storage unit.
The kitchen is open to the dining and living areas.
A plywood bookcase filled with art books.
The entire back wall opens to the backyard. A minimalist platform deck eases the transition between indoors and out.
Yanai worked with frequent collaborator David Godshall, of LA landscape architecture firm Terremoto, on the landscape design.
The architect worked in Japan before attending Harvard Graduate School of Design, and evidence of his Japanese-influenced aesthetic can be seen throughout his home.
The only decorative object on his deck.