Renovations

Francois adds pattern to the living room with pillows and a hand-knotted wool rug by Sylvie and Mira, inspired by original watercolor art.

In a family home in Mill Valley, California, Lauren Goldman of l’oro designs kept her clients’ goals of “modern yet accessible” in mind while also looking for opportunities to add functionality. This proved successful when she discovered that the empty space under the steel-and-glass stair landing was the perfect scale for children to sit and read under. The team was inspired to create a kid-sized library, turning a useless space into a perfectly cozy reading nook.

After: The team introduced a three-level void that brings light into the different floors. Here, a study with a built-in desk benefits from the natural light and preserved architectural features, like the stained glass windows and the door.

A former factory for Alexander Thomson & Sons Pattern Makers—a company that made wooden forms which were then cast in metal for propellers—this old building now has a new second floor and an excavated cellar, which has increased its floor space from 3,500 square feet to a whooping 8,500 square feet.

Now, the kitchen is virtually unrecognizable.

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Hawkins removed walls and swapped outdated storage for floor-to-ceiling African mahogany cabinetry.

"The owners really wanted to make sure that the furniture was inviting and interesting, but still felt like it fit the space,