RUNS IN THE FAMILY

For a sibling, Studio Muka channels a love of alpine architecture and the great outdoors in a revamp of a California cabin.

- Camille Okhio

Some renovations require a well of courage and tenacity that few young designers possess. But Zabie Mustafa and Neda Kakhsaz, founders of the threeyear-old firm Studio Muka, have a purity of vision that lent itself to the overhaul of a neglected 1950s California ranch, tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Amir Kakhsaz, Neda's older brother, and his wife, Raphaëlle Durand, are adventure seekers who both work in nearby Silicon Valley. They enlisted the firm to design a home for themselves and their two boys, one that was attuned to the family's active lifestyle. "They were so entranced by the landscape, but the property itself needed a lot of work," says Mustafa, who cut his teeth at Workshop/APD. He and Neda, formerly of Studio Shamshiri, reconfigured and expanded the layout, moving the staircase to improve the flow between rooms while adding an office for Durand and four new bedrooms. They hewed to an earthy palette throughout, tying the home to its lush surroundings.