Italian Renaissance Revival

Classic elegance meets practicality. Our design for this stately 1912 home allowed our clients to move seamlessly between family and active social life. Retaining the language of its original Italian Renaissance Revival design, we renovated all levels to improve flow and light and scaled rooms and features for their active family of six.

The large eat-in kitchen features a dramatic mixed metal hood and a fully appointed pantry to hide wall ovens, sink and prep space when entertaining; an ample mudroom; and a chic wet bar with wine wall connecting it to more formal rooms. To maximize indoor-outdoor living, we opened the kitchen’s back wall with a span of glass doors to pull light and greenery from the garden and draw family and guests out to the new patio's fire pit seating and special outdoor-facing kitchen bar with TV. Our technical hurdle: the load-bearing masonry structure—reflective of its era, yet unique in the Bay Area—made opening the wall a challenge. Our solution removed the entire brick wall (with a temp interior shoring wall for support) and framed the openings in a new brick veneer with painted cedar and column accents.

The two upper floors feature a new family room; new primary suite with his/her closets and baths; a private office; a child's room, and new stair to the 3rd floor bedrooms. Last, we built out the full basement to add a guest suite, office, playroom, gym, and storage bin room.