Sophie Goineau Transforms Malibu House With Wave Inspiration

The main teak pivot door opens to reveal a ceiling of linear wood slats that mirror the door’s own grain. In this single gesture of entry, Sophie Goineau has distilled her entire philosophy of spatial transformation – the belief that architecture should breath with its environment rather than resist it. The Inland Lane Residence, constrained by zoning laws, stands as testament to the designer’s vision of what she refers to as “harmonious disruption.”

Built in 1965 and bearing the structural character of mid-century California modernism, the house presented Goineau with a familiar challenge of how to honor existing bones while creating something entirely new. The question of rhythm becomes central to understanding her approach, who treats interior space similar to how one would treat a musical composition.

“The structure is an atypical T-shape,” Goineau says. “The living room, kitchen, and guest ensuite bedroom open up to the pool, so when the doors and windows are open and flow out to the terrace, it gives the sense of a villa with a separate bungalow, cabana, and pool house. And you feel like you’re fully outside from within.”

By opening walls and redistributing light that filters from multiple angles, Goineau transformed the building’s unconventional configuration into an asset. The ceiling’s “breaking waves” – four layers of thermally modified ash wood arranged in juxtaposing angles – function as both sun shield and organizing principle. The wood’s enhanced durability and natural antimicrobial properties make it ideally suited for Malibu’s extreme climate fluctuations while maintaining the warmth that defines the home’s design language.

She continues by stating, “The light here, while beautiful, is very strong, but we didn’t want to ruin the existing skylights with shades. The undulating ‘waves’ protect from the heat and the light itself, and the way the shadows are reflected on the walls creates wonderful graphic artwork everywhere.”

View more information on Inland Lane Residence by Sophie Goineau at sophiegoineau.com.

Photography by Virtually Here Studios.