Residential SERIES  •  Project FEATURE

Balboa is more than a house on a hill; it is an orchestrated interplay between light, texture, and horizon. With its sweeping Pacific views, the residence could have risked feeling like a stage set — but instead, RIVA Spain’s LA RIVA floors lend grounding warmth, transforming the modern shell into a soulful retreat. Every space feels anchored, tactile, and alive with the hand-crafted artistry beneath one’s feet.

Set on Del Mar’s highest ridge, the home unfolds as a series of open-plan volumes that blur indoor and outdoor life. Floor-to-ceiling glass dissolves into terraces, leading from a marble-clad kitchen to a poolside lounge and outdoor kitchen, all united by the deep golden-brown hues of LA RIVA oak planks. The character grade is evident in every room: knots, subtle tonal shifts, and the grain’s natural rhythm infuse authenticity into the otherwise pristine interiors. In the living lounge, white sectional seating and woven details play against the warmth of the oak, creating an atmosphere that is both minimal and inviting. In the dining area, the raw-wood table and exposed ceiling beams resonate with the flooring, producing a grounded counterpoint to the expansiveness of glass. The craftsmanship is most visible in the staircase: a floating open-riser design where each tread showcases the hand-sculpted finish of LA RIVA oak. It becomes a sculptural centerpiece — a testament to Tom Goddijn’s 38 years of artisanal mastery in shaping and coloring European oak. The reactive finish ensures the planks shift subtly under changing daylight, harmonizing with plaster walls, stone accents, and exterior cladding. In this way, the floors are not simply a surface but a connective tissue, binding architecture, landscape, and daily ritual into one fluid continuum.

"A horizon carried on wooden planks"

What distinguishes Balboa is not just its sweeping views but its restraint — its ability to remain warm, tactile, and human-scaled despite the grandeur of its site. Many coastal modern homes lean into gallery-like minimalism, but here, the floors transform the atmosphere. The deeper, custom-toned oak resists sterility, instead cultivating a sense of authenticity and permanence. It is a material choice that acknowledges imperfection as beauty — knots, textures, and variations celebrated rather than erased. This ethos aligns with a broader shift in contemporary design: a return to craft and narrative within high-end modernism. In Balboa, sustainability is not only about performance but about timelessness — creating spaces that remain resonant, both aesthetically and emotionally, over decades. The wood itself embodies this philosophy, carrying traces of hand, time, and technique, even as it is installed in the most contemporary of settings.

The kitchen exemplifies this tension between refinement and approachability. White marble counters and sculptural pendant lights deliver crisp sophistication, but it is the oak cabinetry and LA RIVA planks that anchor the space, ensuring the room feels lived-in rather than untouchable. The flooring runs in wide, clean spans that visually elongate the room, while woven barstools introduce a playful, casual note — a reminder that this is a family kitchen as much as it is a showcase.

Outside, the connection between interior and exterior continues visually, though with distinct materials. The same warm tonal palette flows from living room to terrace and poolside deck, linking daily rituals of cooking, lounging, and entertaining. At sunset, the interior oak planks resonate with the golden light of the Pacific horizon, amplifying a natural drama that no material could ever outshine but that these floors quietly echo. It is here that the home feels most Californian — easy, elegant, and inseparable from its environment.

Quotes from RIVA Spain describe the LA RIVA collection as a balance of “tradition, science, and innovation.” In Balboa, that claim manifests visibly. The floors are not a neutral backdrop but a protagonist: an artisanal surface that refracts light, collects stories, and frames the lived-in moments of the household. This narrative of wood-as-memory connects the project to a lineage of European craftsmanship while rooting it firmly in the Californian present.

Ultimately, Balboa demonstrates that architecture is never just about what we see, but about what we touch, sense, and feel underfoot. By uniting the artistry of European oak with the luminous openness of Del Mar’s coastline, the project creates a living environment that is both globally refined and deeply local. It is a reminder that true luxury lies in material honesty, continuity, and craft.