When Butler Armsden Architects was tasked with the renovation of a Stinson Beach getaway, they wanted to create a space that would reflect their clients—a vibrant, multicultural family with a primary residence in San Francisco. The clan’s spacious, shingle-clad home is located at the end of a sandspit facing north across the Bolinas lagoon, surrounded by wildlife and rich with natural beauty.

By incorporating influences that reflect the owners—ranging from East Coast, midcentury modern traditions to a colorful South American upbringing—the firm was able to create a layered story which also paid respect to the integrity of the original 1970s beachside home. “We were very curatorial about what to make new and what to leave old,” says founder and president Lewis Butler.

The home’s original footprint was maintained, with the only significant changes being reconfiguring the home from three to five bedrooms, the addition of windows, and the removal of an exterior wall which blocked the central courtyard. The rich, wood-paneled ceiling remains in the open kitchen/living room, and tall wood columns that run the length of the living room were also left intact. The renovation is nuanced—in fact, part of the magic of the firm's work is that the updates perfectly integrate into the home and feel completely natural.

Joe Fletcher
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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Butler Armsden Architects / @butlerarmsden_architects, Lewis W. Butler and Dave Sturm
Builder/General Contractor: GGD, Inc/ Glenn Goodman
Structural Engineer: Strandberg Engineering /David Strandberg
Civil Engineer: AYS Engineering Group, Inc./Troy Pearce
Landscape Design Company: Dan Fix Landscape, Dan Fix
Interior Design: Butler Armsden Architects, Glenda Flaim
Cabinetry Design/Installation: Woodline Design/Jim Hinkle
Other: Fleetwood Windows & Doors
Photography: Joe Fletcher Photography

Appears In

A Delicate Renovation Revives a ’70s Beach House in Northern California