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After a stealth makeover, a California Craftsman gains light, space, and a partial facelift.

From the street, there’s not much to differentiate the renovated 1912 Craftsman bungalow of Irene Cheng and her husband, Brett Snyder, from its neighbors. Which is exactly how the town of Piedmont, California—a leafy enclave adjacent to Oakland—likes it. Politically liberal, aesthetically less so, Piedmont has a strict design code and a small, vocal community. "You want to attract the least amount of attention possible," Cheng says.

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Deborah Bishop
Based in San Francisco, Deborah Bishop has written for Dwell almost since the first issue hit the newsstands.

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