When a young couple met Los Angeles -based interior designer Sophie Goineau in the fashionable Mexican beach town of Costa Careyes, they instantly felt a rapport and soon tapped her to reimagine their circa 1965 beach house in Malibu for their growing family. What ensued was a years-long overhaul culminating in a light-filled contemporary home that not only takes full advantage of the ocean views from its cliffside location but is also suitable for the couple’s young children. Goineau, whose many professional hats include furniture designer and editor at Elle , is known for her cutting-edge approach to contemporary design , fusing an artistic sensibility with the practical concerns of daily life to create harmonious spaces.
She’s designed homes for film producer Megan Ellison and has worked with top hotels and spas around the world. For this Malibu property, which sits on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, she was challenged with reimagining the existing home while adhering to Malibu’s strict zoning regulations. “The structure was built in the 1960s as more of a villa and renovated near the millennium with that late-90s style,” Goineau tells Robb Report .
“There were lots of skylights, the ceilings were pitched at an odd angle, there were big bulky shades, and it felt cramped.” Expanding the home wasn’t an option, so Goineau worked within the confines of the existing structure. She adjusted the layout to a more open floor plan, and she installed larger win.
