Remodel: Whole House
Many remodels add space for a new generation. A special few transform a home into a living legacy for generations to come. Our clients in Napa invited us to reconceive the husband’s childhood home into a family vacation home to share with their adult sons and their children, as well as a place for entertaining their own friends. Bringing the current three-generations of family together inspired the reconfiguration and expansion of this 1960 Mid-Century Modern’s dark, warren-like cluster of kitchen, dining room and family room into a single, large and luminous Great Room. Today the family gathers in a spacious and bright “all in one” room with views of patio, pool, hillside and trees. The low, flat ceiling was reframed to become 4’ taller; the elevated ceiling, skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows now fill the room with airiness and light, while creating space for the entire extended family and friends to gather comfortably. The updated layout also improves flow from the interior of the house to the front patio, rear deck and the freshly landscaped outdoors. Warm touches, including wood panelling at the ceiling and walnut window trim keep the crisp, modern space welcoming and cozy. The hallway bar provides space outside of the kitchen for entertaining. Everything has been updated, from the kitchen (now all-electric and induction) to the four bedrooms and three-and-a-half (formerly two-and-a-half) baths. The former living room has been transformed into a generous primary suite, complete with the living room’s original fireplace. To help ensure the house will endure into the new mid-century and beyond, the remodel hardens the exterior of the home against fire and seismic threats with: concrete retaining walls and Corten-steel planter boxes, stone patios, cement-board siding, aluminum windows, standing-seam metal roof, and a fire-safe perimeter beyond the five foot code requirements, created in part by moving the recessed foundation into line with the outer wall of the house. Set among lush landscaping and legacy oaks, this beloved childhood home with its fresh and striking profile has truly become a jewel in the family crown to be cherished for generations.
Contractor: Hanes Construction, Inc.
Cabinetry: Hanes Construction, Inc.
Photographer: Adam Potts
Landscape Construction and Design: Art Garden Design, Inc.
