Architectural Opus
Location Hillsborough, CA · Photographer Bruce Damonte · Stylist HEIDI SCHWARZ · Square Footage 6000
Project story
A modernist's dream: expansive windows, strong lines, a formal plan, a muted palette, and edges blurring inside and out. As we began working with the homeowner, an architect herself, layers of design history inspired the evolution of this 1970s ranch-style home, which was made for indoor-outdoor California living. Initially built for a concrete contractor, the home's scale and mass exude a sense of grandeur, making it stand out from its suburban surroundings. Rather than designing the home as a time capsule of midcentury design, we approached the project with a bright and balanced hand. Throughout the interior, a mix of patterns, colors, and forms weaves a complex yet minimal fabric of design history, spanning the space age to modern classics by Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Le Corbusier.
A sensitive renovation, helmed by our client, revealed an opportunity for a formal entry at the geographic heart of the home, welcoming visitors to the world within. Inspired by Paco Rabanne’s iconic Space Curtains, we emphasized the era's spirit by designing a custom floor-to-ceiling screen made of acrylic, porcelain, and brass discs in collaboration with artists ReCheng Tseng and Christina Kotlier. In the private spaces, the kids' rooms burst with kaleidoscopic visions, capturing the playful essence of the time. The primary suite is a tranquil sanctuary in a palette of layered neutrals and luxurious, natural textures and materials. The property's park-like setting envelopes it all, allowing each living space to connect with the surrounding landscape.
Personal while monumental. Playful while sophisticated. Home with heart. This must be the place.
Inspired by Paco Rabanne’s space curtains, we collaborated with ReCheng Tsang and Christina Kotlier to develop a screen composed of hand-shaped discs in a combination of glazed and unglazed porcelain, brass and acrylic.
A pendant by artist Bec Brittan plays with verticality while random tufting detail on the velvet sofa mimics the texture of the original onyx fireplace.
A collection of bronze, resin and vintage Italian glass objects strike a pose.
An Ellsworth Kelly lithograph is crowned with a vintage light fixture sourced in Amsterdam. Classic chairs by Eero Saarinen ring around a massive custom marble and steel dining table.
Our work was a combination of joyful exuberance in the casual, family-oriented spaces and quiet sophistication in the public spaces. Materials, textures, color, form and nods to mid-century design history were always at the forefront of our design choices.
A custom David Brunicardi credenza in humble materials holds a lecture on geometry and astronomy.
Mario Botta's Shogun Tavolo lamp trains to earn his stripes.
A pair of color studies by Joseph Albers don't let anyone else sit with them at lunch.
I spy a vintage needlepoint of ladies with fabulous 70's dos, a lucky local find that has the same imagery as the original wallpaper found in the pool restroom!
The wallpapers and fixtures in the pool changing room and bathroom is original. 100% intact from 1970. Sometimes the best design is to change nothing at all.
In his office, a Le Corbusier LC2 sofa discusses geopolitical risks in international expansion with Cole & Son's geometric wallpaper.
A custom desk details her business plan to the Elitis wallpaper and a vintage Pierre Cardin lamp.
The Flexform sofa, B&B Italia lounge chair, and De La Espada side table are all too relaxed to help with dinner.
The smoked glass coffee table does yoga over a custom Armadillo rug.
An aluminum bar cart creeps into our shot.
A David Weeks lamp peers over the Hein Dicke vintage desk. The Matter Made Pendant by Jamie Gray supervises above.
