We added new lighting, hooks, color and an inviting bench to create a freshened-up entry.
Soft wool carpeting in children's bedrooms
This wonderful client initially showed up on my door one day, as she lived in the neighborhood and had heard I was a designer. She and her husband needed help transforming the interiors of their house, which was on a beautiful street with big, leafy trees. Their house had been custom built for them by a fantastic architect, Heidi Hansen, when they were pregnant, but now, as empty-nesters, the interiors needed to be updated. I worked with the clients to transform their interior finishes and cabinetry design to complement the original architecture. We added needed texture to the ceilings with tongue and groove, re-oriented the kitchen to look out over the beautiful backyard, replaced the master bath with stunning new cabinets and tile, refreshed the living room with a new fireplace facade, built-in bookshelves and new furniture, and a new paint palette. Interesting interior finishes includes zinc + butcher block on the kitchen island, soapstone countertops, a mixture of stained and painted cabinets, white-washed wood, glass tiles and limestone. Special touches include toe-kick drawers for extra storage, hand-grooved cabinet doors that resemble corduroy, cut-out circles instead of knobs, and receptacles tucked under the countertop hidden behind drawers.
This charming family with two children asked me to work with their design-build company to make their home special. We stripped away the unfortunate recent updates to the house that didn't work, and re-created a livable home that has clean lines and authentic materials that will never go out of style.
We replaced the front windows with gorgeous french doors, creating a new connection to the outdoors and expanding the sense of space.
We re-oriented the front door to face the front, rather than the side, which enabled more light to come through at the entry with the sidelight window. The front door was painted a fun and modern chartreuse color, picking up the greens in the landscaping, and announcing that the house is special on the inside.
By moving the front door to face the front, a front patio zone feels purposeful, with the bold red wall emphasizing the greenery of the garden.
We didn’t like how the old front door opened to a wall in a small space with no light. This new front door now has a zoned entry slate floor, a wonderful sense of light, and relates with the feel of the new French doors in the living room.
You can see the new indoor/outdoor connection, creating an invitation to go outside when the weather beckons, which it often does in Palo Alto!
We moved a bedroom door (previously located where the hall table is shown) to another wall so we could make a useful hall to the beautiful backyard. The backyard includes a swimming pool, so we added slate to the entry to reduce slippery floors and protect the wood floors from water. You can see the gorgeous new barn door we added to the remodeled guest bathroom, which works great for narrow spaces where swing doors don’t always have to be used.
We completely gutted the previous bathroom, but kept the classic tub, and created a hip bathroom for kids. A separate toilet room is to the right. This Heath tile is the star of the show!
We removed an outside door that went straight out to the pool area (not good for kids!), as well as moved the bedroom door location and old closet. This new layout, with the new closet, allows the bed to be placed in a pleasing fund shui orientation.
This home backs up to an open space preserve, with views and a strong connection to nature. We removed the wall that divided the kitchen with the living room so the home owner could expand her connection to nature from the kitchen, where she loves to spend her time baking. We kept the structure intact, added an everyday eating zone connected to the view, and used under-stated materials and transparent glass to allow light to filter through and let the view be the showstopper.
