There are several ways to relieve stress; meditation, good diet, adjusting your jazz intake from acid to smooth. Or you can take a gander at Sarah Beyer’s Artsand House and imagine yourself relaxing among the many verandas and green spaces. See, don’t you feel better already? Sarah tells us that to engage in this house is to flirt with Brutalism. (We’ve all been there, right?) All kidding aside, her meaning has nothing to do with batting eyelashes at someone who might be a toxic thug. Brutalism, in architectural terms, is a style of building that emerged in the 1950s and is characterized by imposing monolithic concrete slabs and rigid, often cold geometry. This style works effectively with courthouses, police stations, town halls, prisons, often big municipal buildings of importance but rarely do we state that Brutalism can describe a relaxing and lovely home. But in Sarah’s hands, this is the case.

A view from above reveals this house’s unusual footprint, gives an idea of the amount of sunlight the place would get, and offers just a glimpse of the pool out back. A lonely seagull perches atop the roof in hopes that someone below might discard a french fry.

Meanwhile, a view from the poolside unveils two private sitting areas and a lush back garden. The masonry bricks in tan recessed into the concrete structure adds a touch of warmth and is a brilliant detail.

Modern interior details abound with an art gallery, spa and large bedroom with a garden view. One of my favorites is this space leading to the bedroom. The aforementioned masonry bricks work well as interior detail behind the bed.

This is a home that is so brimming with lovely details that you may recall this previous post of a relaxing back deck that was merely one facet of this intricate home. What can we say? We liked it so much, it deserved its own post. And that wasn’t the first time we were enthralled by something of Sarah’s doing. Here is a charming modern beach home and a desert domicile.