Piedmont

From the street the house may look simple, but its modest facade belies the interest of the architecture and the complexity of the remodel undertaken on this significant early mid-century home in Piedmont.

The house was originally designed in 1947 by Bay Area architect Clarence Mayhew. Celebrated for his take on contemporary ranch homes in California, he was a participant in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition on Domestic Architecture in the San Francisco Bay Region. Mathew designed the H-shaped structure to take advantage of the lot’s slope away from the street and to protect and celebrate a majestic Tipu tree which dominates the lower terrace of the site. The upper section, with an attached garage to one side, houses bedrooms, while the lower wing was divided into multiple rooms for living. The two volumes were connected by a wide staircase with glass on one side to open it to the outdoors.

The goal of the remodel was to respect the architecture while upgrading materials, creating a greater sense of refinement, adjusting the design to open-plan living and enhancing the connection to the outdoors. In collaboration with Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects, this was achieved by combining the kitchen, dining and living spaces; installing clerestory windows by the front entry; creating wooden insertions at key interior moments such as the stairwell; adding skylights in the primary bath and kitchen, which required reframing a whole section of roof with new trusses; and enhancing indoor-outdoor connections. Other updates include an insulated exterior envelope, firesafe Tru Exterior nickel-gapped cladding to match the original wood siding, new Blomberg window and door systems, gray-water recycling, and an ADU with hot tub built as an attached addition.

This one-and-a-half-year project reflects a high level of teamwork and a satisfying outcome for all involved. The team included some subcontractors who were known to the husband through his work in commercial contracting, as well as the interior designers at Regan Baker Design, where the wife worked in marketing. The architect attests to our attention to detail and our willingness to go the extra mile on this project. The clients cite our positive partnership with architect & designer, consistently high level of craftsmanship, and our adherence to schedule despite weather, covid and supply-chain issues.