California Coastal: Seaside Living from Sea Ranch to San Diego

California Coastal style combines the most beautiful and livable aspects of modern, rustic, cottage, and coastal design to showcase the California dream.

“Say 'thank you' to the authors of CALIFORNIA COASTAL. With an artist’s eye they have seen and given witness to the artist’s line in home design. Here are homes where your eye will find grace, your soul will find rest, and on balance, the rest of you will find joy. Ahhh.”—Noah benShea, International Best-Selling Author/Philosopher

"This book is not just for architecture fans—it’s for anyone who’s ever dreamed of coastal living that’s more about connection to nature than coastal clichés. It’s a strong example of how good design can enhance, rather than disrupt, one of the world’s most iconic coastlines."—SoCal Magazine

“In addition to providing valuable insight into how architects conceive their designs, the authors demonstrate the transformative effect that one statement piece can have on a room….Connoisseurs of high-end design will find much to savor.”—Publishers Weekly

California style comes to full fruition in today’s coastal homes. Whether a new build or renovation, the homes are all about easy, comfortable living with the focus on the outdoors. The diverse range of projects are organized into three regions: Northern Coast, Central Coast, and Southern Coast. Architectural styles range from traditional to modern, with added variety in the form of rustic modern, small-format bungalow, and renovations of existing buildings.

The California Coast is an iconic landscape, one that has been imprinted on the collective psyche as a land of endless sunshine, pristine beaches, swaying palm trees, epic waves, and sinuous curving roads clinging to dramatic cliffs along a rugged coastline. Scenically rich and teeming with wildlife, California is also known for its laid-back, nature-forward, indoor-outdoor lifestyle. This is epitomized in the architecture and design of eighteen homes featured in the book, which speaks to the coastline’s special qualities—as well as its distinct hazards.

This selection of extraordinary West Coast homes offers inspiration and ideas and an armchair travel experience.

Heather Sandy Hebert has spent her life immersed in literature, design, and wine. Raised in Marin County, she studied both literature and design, and earned an MBA along the way. After twenty-five years in the field of architecture, she embarked upon a second phase of her career, pursuing her love of storytelling. She now works with numerous design, hospitality, and wine clients, large and small, to help them craft and convey their stories. Her previous books are The New Architecture of Wine (Gibbs Smith, 2019), At Home in the Wine Country (coauthored with Ewald, Gibbs Smith, 2021), and Design Mixology (coauthored with Ewald, Gibbs Smith, 2023).

Chase Reynolds Ewald is the author of 18 books on architecture, design, rustic style and western living. Recent titles include Wild Sugar with artisan baker Lady in the Wild West, as well as At Home in the Wine Country and Design Mixology, coauthored with Heather Sandy Hebert. American Rustic, Rustic Modern, Cabin Style and Bison: Portrait of an Icon were published by Gibbs Smith with photographs by Audrey Hall. A graduate of Yale and U.C. Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, she lives in Northern California, works with clients across the country, and takes road trips across the West whenever possible.