A 21st century ranch house in Ventura County

Steve Sharpe’s recently completed residence in Somis is a dramatic departure from the more traditional home he dreamed of 20 years ago. Financial considerations forced him to delay construction, and over time his taste for modern design grew. Though some may see the house’s aesthetic as urban, architect Zoltan Pali says the structure fundamentally is a country house responding to its setting. “Rural has always been associated with simplicity, sparseness and function,” Pali says. “That is this house. I see it as a simple architectural expression with elements boiled down to their essence.” (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 15, 2014 4:53 PM PT

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Though some may see Steven Sharpe’s house as urban in nature, architect Zoltan Pali says the structure fundamentally is a country house responding to its setting. “Rural has always been associated with simplicity, sparseness and function,” Pali says. “That is this house.”

Clerestory windows in the master bedroom let in additional light. Throughout the house, walls of glass frame views of orange and lemon groves. A view of the master bedroom with orchards in the background. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

The plan is based on a precise grid; the overall effect is a sense of order and alignment, harmony and beauty. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

San Francisco artist Yoram Wolberger’s resin sculpture “Indian 4 (Spear)” stands in what originally was conceived as a ballroom with a domed ceiling — now a spare space used as a gallery for Sharpe’s art. Through the window, a garden path carries the eye into the countryside. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

In a dining area right off the kitchen, a metallic dining table. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

In a separate dining room, one of Sharpe’s solutions for entertaining: Four small dining tables pushed together to form one large surface. As a whole, the tables accommodate small dinner parties nicely. When entertaining larger groups, Sharpe can break them apart for use as serving stations or tables for two. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

The countryside is ever-present in Pali’s free-flowing plan. Here, the living area naturally leads to the open kitchen. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

A lower level of the house includes a wine cellar. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

The wine cellar. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

The 80-foot lap pool rolls like a carpet toward the main wing of the L-shaped house, with its gallery space and main living and dining areas. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Trees silhouetted in the evening sky provide the backdrop for a deck that lies off the master bedroom and bath. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

After 20 years of give and take between homeowner and architect, there is this: a light box set against the rolling hills of Ventura County. “This house is a result of a long, long collaboration,” Sharpe says. “It’s about an architect and a client coming of age.” (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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A 21st century ranch house in Ventura County

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