In April we introduced you to our first remodel project, including a
step-by-step guide to the planning and building. In our July issue, we
took you through the material selection process. Now we’re ready to
open the doors and show you the transformation of a nondescript
one-story 1940s bungalow into a two-story Monterey-style house
designed for casual contemporary living in San Jose, California.
It was a race to the finish line. Builder Mark De Mattei had his crews
working overtime to finish plumbing, tiling, flooring, painting, and
electrical installations. Interior designers Patricia McDonald and
Marcia Moore, in concert with the Sunset team, were equally busy
placing furniture and accessories, supervising the installation of
window treatments, and selecting artwork.
The frenzy of activity continued outside. Architect Terry Martin
reviewed his final checklist—the copper shutters still needed to be
installed and some of the downspouts needed adjustments. Landscape
designer Irving Tamura fine-tuned the garden, directing last-minute
planting along the driveway and checking the condition of transplanted
espalier trees and container gardens.
Somehow everything was done in time for our photo shoot. Now we’re
ready to unveil the results.
Curb appeal
The front of the house features a Monterey-style double-decker porch;
the wood posts and railing recall the architecture of early
California. The buttery yellow exterior—a mix of stucco and
siding—provides a colorful backdrop for the new landscaping. The front
door and shutters are copper, oxidized to match the posts and corbels.
Making an entrance
Immediately to the right of the entry is the two-story parlor, which
replaces the cramped living room. Now a soaring ceiling, a dramatic
stairway leading up to the bedrooms and study gallery, and a
sculpturally ribbed cast-concrete fireplace add airiness and drama to
the room. The parlor also functions as an extension of the foyer.
Kitchen contours
The kitchen is stylish, casual, and contemporary; it’s designed for
entertaining as well as working. Organized around a large preparation
and storage island, it opens seamlessly to the family room at the rear
of the house. The pale blue concrete countertop traces a sinuous curve
around one corner to create a breakfast area near the family room.
Stone tile—with glass and metallic accent tiles—covers the backsplash
behind the sink and cooktop. The mix of cabinetry—some units are
stained in charcoal and some in cherry hues—contributes to the
informal, furniture-like effect.
Extra storage and work space
The daylit pantry contains a variety of upper and lower cabinets for
food storage. Counters are covered in shiny black 24-inch-square tiles
made from lava rock.
Almost alfresco
Glass pocket doors recede into the walls to open the dining room to a
narrow side yard without taking up space for door swings. The dining
room’s focal point is outside, where three glistening cobalt ceramic
planters form a trickling wall fountain. Water falls from the top
surface of the pots into a trough below.
Artwork was selected to balance the blue walls and hand-painted lime
green chair fabric. The pale blue china, set for a casual buffet,
matches the color of the nearby kitchen counters.
Family hub
A large sectional sofa invites relaxation by the limestone-finished
concrete fireplace wall and offers flexibility for viewing a
large-screen television on one side of the room and the backyard on
the other. The hearth extends the length of the room to become a
display shelf. Glass sliding doors open the rear wall to the patio.
Bedding down
Lime green walls and ceiling merge comfortably with classic white
wainscoting in the children’s bedroom, which features custom-made
pillows and curtains, and hand-painted roller shades that say “good
night” in three languages.
Child’s play
Designed to appeal to the child in all of us, the playroom sports
vividly colored walls in yellow, purple, lime green, and melon. The
colors form a perfect canvas for displaying artwork. Four game boards
become wall artwork when not in use, while a tent house invites
imaginative play. A board game on the floor uses geese as markers. The
tent, game boards, wall treatments, and bedroom decor were created by
Florence Goguely of Bille et Plume and Françoise Kirkman.
Intimate retreat
The pale green plaster fireplace wall of the master bedroom includes
niches for books and artwork. Doors at each side lead to a small
balcony with views of the back garden. We angled the bed in a corner,
placed a desk and chair at its base, and created a cozy seating area
in front of the fire in order to make the room appear as spacious as
possible.
Spa setting
In the master bath, the designers placed the platform tub in a corner
below two windows in order to maximize natural light. A glass panel
separates the tub from the shower, allowing the latter to borrow the
light.
Intimate retreat
The pale green plaster fireplace wall of the master bedroom includes
niches for books and artwork. Doors at each side lead to a small
balcony with views of the back garden. We angled the bed in a corner,
placed a desk and chair at its base, and created a cozy seating area
in front of the fire in order to make the room appear as spacious as
possible.
Spa setting
In the master bath, the designers placed the platform tub in a corner
below two windows in order to maximize natural light. A glass panel
separates the tub from the shower, allowing the latter to borrow the
light.
Eye-catching elements
Meandering paths lead away from the patio and planters to connect the
various sections of the yard, such as a shade garden beside a bench
that works as a deck for sitting or displaying container plants at the
base of a redwood tree. Other features include a children’s play area
near the back fence, a spiral herb garden, and a raised planter that’s
edged by a serpentine wall of stacked, interlocking concrete segments.
Drip irrigation utilizes a water-conserving minispray system, and
low-voltage night-lights run along paths and fences and twinkle in the
trees.
Home Plans number: SSIH-2002
>> Link to purchase this home plans
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