Nature has always been my greatest source of inspiration. Growing up in California and now raising my kids here, I feel lucky that a connection with nature is woven into our days. Those small moments of grounding are incredibly important to me — like having dinner with my family outside, pausing to enjoy each other’s company and savoring the beauty of the place we call home.
Photography provided by Rizzoli New York
Over the years, I’ve become curious about what exactly defines California living and how that idea translates to the spaces we create. To me, it’s about ease. Letting nature lead. It’s about light and calming tones and spaces that always look out onto nature. Designing a home that supports your daily life in a way that feels natural. When the ethos of California living is at the center, a space invites connection — between indoors and out, between people, and with the natural world around us.
That relationship between interiors, architecture and nature is what inspired my latest book. It builds on the first two installments of Pacific Natural, which focused specifically on California interiors and lifestyle. This time, we expand our lens — exploring California as a feeling rather than a place. We test the idea that it can be evoked everywhere, as long as nature dictates design, indoors and outdoors blend, and the seasons shape how we live. In every house we visited, it was that harmony between design and landscape that made it feel like California. We saw this connection all over the world — from the calm waters of Puget Sound to a colorful valley in Colorado to a rolling beach in New Zealand to the open sky in Wyoming.
Photography by Michael P. H. Clifford
Mangawhai
Built by Fearon Hay with interiors by myself, this coastal retreat epitomizes indoor-outdoor living. In the great room, glass walls vanish, opening to a central courtyard on one side and sprawling lawns on the other, with details perfected by Suzanne Turley. Outside, a minimalist cabana sits among the dunes, overlooking a pool that looks nearly natural.
Photography by Michael P. H. Clifford
Big Sur
Perched high above the Pacific, this Big Sur retreat with the design and landscape by Mark Haddawy is equally rustic and refined. By famed architect Will Shaw, the house is built almost entirely from salvaged redwood — from the floors to the ceilings to the wraparound deck — to create a warm sense of cohesion. The generous scale only heightens its elemental quality, with exposed beams, sparse furnishings and wide-open rooms.
Photography by Michael P. H. Clifford
Melides
With a concrete exterior in the exact shade as the surrounding dunes, this house by Vincent Van Duysen is a visual extension of Portugal’s raw beauty. Brazilian ipe wood walls, brutalist furnishings and a neutral palette create an interior that feels simple yet striking. High ceilings and accordion doors expand the space, letting in light and shadow from every angle.
Excerpted from Pacific Natural Everywhere by Jenni Kayne (Rizzoli New York).
