Doug Ely recalls the first time he visited the Buttress Residence, a 3000sf split level home high in the Orange Hills, California. “When you open the front door, the first thing you saw was a wall. When I walked around that wall, there was this incredible view from the kitchen and dining room windows. The first think we did was blow out that wall so we could celebrate that view.”

Views from the Buttress Residence encompass most of Orange County, reaching from Laguna to the south and Angel Stadium to the west. The owner particularly enjoys watching evening fireworks at Disneyland.

To further enhance visual lines to those views from the front door, DSEA flipped the location of the kitchen and the dining room. Now guests see those gorgeous views of coastal Orange County through the dining room.

DSEA remodeled every room, particularly removing a sunken seating area around a firepit in the original living room to gain more entertainment area at the remodeled new living room’s elevation. An angled fireplace was added, behind which is a hidden pantry. The firm also built an external deck system to reach from the pool area to the second-floor balcony, adding more views of Orange County.