Edward Grigoryan designed and built 4256 Beck Avenue as a personal project, and it shows in the choices a spec house would not make. Newly built on a corner lot in Studio City, it is a traditional house with a European hand: natural materials, a considered plan, and rooms that are allowed to have a mood.

Grigoryan came to building through real estate. Early exposure to new construction pulled him into the process itself, from first concept to final execution, and daily work on large residential job sites turned the interest into a trade. He takes on only a few projects at a time and reviews decisions at every level, building custom-caliber homes for sale with a clear end user in mind, often a version of himself. His own phrase for the goal is that nothing should feel incidental.

Inside, arched openings and stone floors laid in a diamond pattern carry the plan through 4,639 square feet over two stories. A double-height entry opens the house, and the kitchen is set around a stone and marble island with a pantry, open to the family room. The room people will remember is paneled in burgundy, a study with its own doors to the garden. Upstairs are five bedrooms, each with its own bath, and the primary suite sits under a dark green paneled ceiling with a fireplace and a balcony. The baths are finished in deep red marble, green tile and brass.

Outside, mature planting closes in the corner lot. A heated pool with a waterfall and a spa sit off a brick patio, with a covered outdoor room and barbecue for long evenings. French and sliding doors open the main rooms to the garden, and skylights bring light down from above.