Shaping the World as a Home: The Houses and Gardens of Erik Evens

The first book on the precisely detailed, sumptuous architecture of one of the finest firms working in traditional styles in California.

Evens has long been considered one of the country’s leading contemporary architects who aspires to create the complete living environment, in the same vein as Gil Schafer, Bobby McAlpine, Ray Booth, and Stanley Dixon. His inspiration is drawn from classical traditions and informed by contemporary indoor-outdoor life--in this case the indoor-outdoor life of California.

Evens explains the core design values that bring unique and compelling force to his work, crafting architecture that speaks to people. Evens’s projects are stylistically diverse, from a Spanish Colonial Revival estate in Malibu overlooking the Pacific, to an American farmhouse-inspired residence in the golden hills of Southern California, to a gracious ranch house embedded within the old oak trees studding the coastal landscape of Montecito. Natural materials, such as wood, stone, and brick form the foundations, walls, and ceilings of these subtly luxurious spaces, while nature itself plays a considered role that is at once complementary and intricately conjoined with the work.

Erik Evens is principal of Evens Architects, a boutique studio of the KAA Design Group. Evens is a fellow of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA) and a member of its national education committee. He is a founding member and former president of its Southern California Chapter. Marc Appleton is a celebrated architect and author of numerous books on architecture and design, including Ranches: Home on the Range in California and Lotusland.