A Smaller Home Footprint Gave This Designer the Wiggle Room for a Pool and Side Yard Garden

Sybille Zimmermann didn’t leave gray and rainy Switzerland and put down roots in sunny Los Angeles just to live in a giant house with a patch of grass for a backyard. “I need a lot of light and the outdoors. I don’t do well in dark spaces,” says the designer, who founded Studio Zimmermann in 2010 after long stints at both Gensler and Commune Design. So when everyone else in her Mar Vista neighborhood appeared to be maximizing their lots with McMansions, Zimmermann and her husband looked around their 1,100-square-foot home and decided they really only needed another 400 square feet for them and their daughter to feel comfortable.

The small expansion, executed with help from Lion Builder Construction, allowed them to gain a proper third bedroom, a larger primary suite, and two spacious bathrooms. Then Zimmermann’s focus shifted to the exterior: “Anything that I could think of in a resort—that attracts me to go on a vacation—that’s what I wanted at home.”

Adding bifold doors off the dining room was a no-brainer, but Zimmermann also tasked her trusted vendor, LaCantina Doors, with installing a large opening over the kitchen sink. The pass-through window allows her to dish out snacks on the eat-in bar, but, more important, it offers uninterrupted views of the brand-new pool (and any kids who happen to be swimming in it). “They’ll sit in there for hours—I mean they’re in there all day—hopping between the pool and hot tub,” says the designer.

Zimmermann learned about Kebony wood decking when she was visiting her cousin’s house in Switzerland. She asked him about the material, assuming it was ipé (one of the more popular options used in California). Turns out, Kebony looks a whole lot like Brazilian ipé hardwood, except it’s more resistant to warping and splintering and is sustainably harvested from FSC-certified forests. When left unfinished, the boards evenly fade to a silvery gray. The designer passed this intel on to her contractor, who was quickly able to track down Kebony in the U.S. “If it holds up in Switzerland, it’ll hold up in L.A.,” she says. 

They used the same Kebony planks to build the outdoor shower, a space that mostly gets used by her husband—and also the family dog (hence the handheld attachment). In the cooler months, Zimmermann exclusively uses the indoor bathroom, which feels like a drop of sunshine with its peach-colored ceiling and rainbow stained glass. The window was inspired by a jewelry shop she and her family stumbled across on the Malibu Pier. The designer went so far as to track down the exact maker of the store’s window and had him create a custom one for her. “It’s beautiful in the afternoon when the sun hits and all the colors reflect in the shower,” she shares. 

The design feature was something she never could have pictured in her house before (“Usually, I’m not a big fan of stained glass,” she admits), and the same goes for the vegetable garden. But when Zimmermann’s father-in-law started to show her the ropes with basics like cilantro, cucumbers, eggplants, and basil, her small garden in the side yard began to thrive. “Because my office is at home, when I need a mental break, I’ll go pick my tomato plants, sit there for a few minutes, and read my emails by the firepit,” she says.

It helps to have fresh produce around when you’ve got a pizza oven in your backyard. It took the family about a year to master the appliance, but now that they’ve got it figured out, the designer admits it’s spoiled them from ordering takeout. “We’re total pizza snobs,” she says, laughing.

Her plant obsession has grown to encompass vining passion fruit, too. Around 500 buds now lend a junglelike feel to the porch. “It’s totally rewarding: I bought this little thing, and a year later it’s growing on the roof,” says Zimmermann. When it came to filling out the front yard, she sought the help of the landscaping professionals at Lion House Design, who helped her pinpoint native plants that could withstand the dry California climate.

Investing in the front and side yards has brought out a new side of the designer and her family—one that wants to frequently mingle with neighbors. “During the pandemic, we got bored and wanted to see other people, so we’d sit in the grass out there,” she says. “I want to be able to go at night, have a fire, have a glass of wine, and be more social.” 

When the outdoor space became their priority, they realized they needed to get clever with storage. (Before the renovation, the couple’s bedroom didn’t even have a closet.) To maximize every square inch during the expansion, they went all in on built-ins, incorporating a bench with drawers in their bedroom for extra linens and even a crate outside the washer-dryer closet. “That was such an eyesore before; I hated having a ginormous black metal crate in our tiny bedroom,” says Zimmermann. Bonus: The countertop surface doubles as a folding station on laundry days. 

The small living room posed another design challenge. With the fireplace hearth protruding into the space, Zimmermann couldn’t find a square or rectangular area rug that would fit between the sofa and armchairs without looking awkward. For a moment, she considered having something custom-made with a cutout for the stone. “I was like, no, that’s going to be cheesy,” she says. Then she remembered a small geometric rug sitting in storage. The heirloom piece, hand-knotted by her great-aunt, fit perfectly. “I’m sentimental when it comes to furniture and art; I feel like it has to be personal and have a story,” she notes. The weather from back home isn’t welcome here, but memories of family sure are.

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