← Back to Residential ProjectsProject 01 — Residential Architecture & Interiors

Arid Courtyard Residence

Discipline
Residential
Setting Context
High Desert Foothills
Spatial Scale
240 sq m single-level courtyard residence
Architecture & Styling
Dune & Oak Studio
Sunlit living room with oiled oak ceiling beams, low linen sofa, travertine coffee table, and open steel-framed doors to a stone courtyard
Primary living room looking toward the sheltered limestone courtyard. Deep timber overhangs soften midday glare.Dune & Oak — Residential Architecture & Interiors
01 / Project Brief

Spatial intent and human rhythm

Arid Courtyard Residence explores how an open-plan desert home can feel sheltered and intimate rather than over-exposed to glare. The brief centers on a calm transition from bright exterior sun into cool, absorptive interior rooms.

Instead of relying on tall glazing across every elevation, the plan orientates principal living and dining spaces inward toward a planted limestone courtyard, allowing cross-ventilation and filtered reflected light throughout the day.

02 / Design Approach

Architecture, joinery, and daylight modulation

We established a low horizontal datum across the main living room: exposed wire-brushed white oak ceiling joists draw the eye toward the garden threshold, while a custom low-slung oak platform sofa keeps sightlines open across the room.

Walls are finished in hand-troweled sand lime plaster that absorbs sharp daylight without chalkiness. Underfoot, wide-plank European oak boards and a tightly woven jute rug ground the seating arrangement around a honed travertine plinth table.

Daylight & Orientation Note

East-to-west courtyard orientation with deep timber pergola louvers outside the main steel-framed sliders. Morning light washes the kitchen plaster walls; late afternoon light grazes the oak ceiling beams.

03 / Material Palette

Specified surfaces and finishes

01

Wire-Brushed White Oak

Finish: Dead-flat hardwax oil

Ceiling joists, wide-plank flooring, and low platform sofa frame
02

Natural Lime Plaster

Finish: Fine mineral aggregate in warm sand

Interior perimeter walls and fireplace hearth surround
03

Unfilled Roman Travertine

Finish: Honed, eased edges

Central low coffee table and exterior courtyard paving
04

Heavyweight Belgian Linen

Finish: Undyed oat weave

Removable upholstery cushions and full-height window drapery
04 / Project Scope

Architectural and interior deliverables

  • Spatial reconfiguration and interior architectural thresholds
  • Flooring, wall plaster, and ceiling timber specification
  • Bespoke living room joinery and low platform seating design
  • Indoor-outdoor furniture curation and courtyard material continuity

Reference This Project

Planning a space with similar daylight, joinery, or material requirements? Attach Arid Courtyard Residence to your project enquiry.

Enquire with this project
Interior & Material Photography

Project Gallery

01 / 03
Courtyard living room with oak beams and travertine table

Living room threshold opening onto the planted limestone terrace.

Dune & Oak — Residential Interiors