A Horizon Homes concrete house in Laguna Niguel

The house has a pie shape, a cantilevered roof and a wall of glass forming the perimeter.

Inside the entrance of Einar Johnson and Pat Gough’s Horizon home.

The Midcentury Modern style of this home by architect George Bissell carries over into the furniture in the living room.

Einar Johnson and Pat Gough’s sprayed-on “shotcrete” fireplace was hand-finished into a free-form, organic shape.

Einar Johnson and Pat Gough refreshed the interior with a coat of matte white paint.

Pat Gough likes the low maintenance of the concrete home. “We’ve yet to have any cracks in the concrete roof or walls — all it needs is a coat of paint every few years.”

The most tedious part to renovate was removing the faux brick that covered the original vertical-ribbed cinder block in the kitchen. “All the grooves had been filled in with a binding agent,” Johnson says. “It had to be chipped out bit by bit.”

An interior view of Einar Johnson and Pat Gough’s Horizon home. Author Ted Wells’ upcoming book on such houses will be titled “Horizon Homes: Living the Concrete Dream.”

Bathroom of Einar Johnson and Pat Gough’s Horizon home in Laguna Niguel.

A look at the bedroom inside the Laguna Niguel Horizon home, one of 11 such houses built in Southern California.

Rooms open to this patio, outdoor landscaping and views.

Garden area of Einar Johnson and Pat Gough’s Horizon home in Laguna Niguel.

The Horizon Homes program sought to show how a home could be built inexpensively with concrete.

Garage area of the Laguna Niguel Horizon home.