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SF Historic Renovation

"We composed the house to have its highest, brightest space in the middle," says Paul Raff. Warm wood stairs lead to the second floor, which houses guest bedrooms, bath, and a kitchenette for the family's frequent visitors.

Kitchen and dining area, visually integrated, through the continuity of ground and ceiling plane and material, while still maintaining a distinct sense of individual place.

Stairway with custom slat wall to give a hint of the stair beyond, while eliminating the need for extravagant, unwanted visual clutter of a railing.

Central Area Home

The wooden staircase is a nod to the original timber cabin.

Blue Savoy marble from Coastal Tile lines the floor.

Sphinx, the family Carolina dog, scouts the perimeter of the Concrete Collaborative pavers in the backyard. The pavers were installed on a slight angle to channel water to the surrounding gravel, lawn, and planting beds. This substantially lowers the landscape's water demand. Perforated PVC pipes and a pump move excess rainfall (which would otherwise go to storm drains) into an underground basin where it can later drain off. Redwood fencing reflects the material palette of the interior and creates visual continuity around the backyard.

The home’s kitchen features dual Miele ovens, Thermador refrigerator and freezer, and Thermador induction cooktop. A feature wall clad in natural Carrara marble sits behind sliding cabinet uppers. Paola Lenti Heron counter stools in ‘verde scuro,’ coordinate with custom cabinet fronts, accented with Spinneybeck leather pulls.

Without its former bulky, outdated cabinetry, the new kitchen feels much more spacious. Additional windows and a light color palette creates a breezy feel. The custom-made kitchen island was crafted from Oregon white oak with a Pyrolave (enameled lava stone) countertop. The Balls suspension light is by Parachina. JHID also seamlessly added a period-appropriate, pressed-tin ceiling that looks original to the home.

The interior consists of a mixture of white oak boards, slabs of silver maple, and encased steel. Clerestory windows surround the space, providing a lookout to the forested surroundings.

Naturehumaine used maple plywood and white accents throughout Des Érables Residence, striking contrast with the original wood moldings of the building.

Built-in cabinetry at the entryway ensures a place for everything is baked right into the design from the start. "We try to encourage our clients on all projects to not make the house bigger than it needs to be," says Loader. "Make it the right size, and design a space for everything."

The roof deck, anchored by a gas fire pit from Paloform, boasts an incredible view of the water.