This home, known as Tierwelthause or “Wildlife House,” sits on a three-acre lot in California’s idyllic Portola Valley. While the location is quintessential and offers the perfect climate where both Coastal and Live Oaks and grasslands can thrive, the original home was less than impressive.

Built in the 1990s, it suffered from a lack of curb appeal, an overgrown lot, and dated interiors. A renovation was sorely needed. Interestingly, two sets of homeowners worked with Feldman Architecture to update the house. The first occupants worked with the firm to touch up the exterior and then remodel the top floor. The current homeowners also relied on Feldman Architecture to do a full transformation, both indoors and out.

Before: Entryway

“There existed a disconnect between the contemporary revisions and the original ranch-style design,” Feldman Architecture’s Chris Kurrle says. It was time to finally finish-out the home and to make both the exterior and interior flow seamlessly in both design and function. And luckily, the clients were on board with what had been started by Feldman Architecture in phase one.

After: Entryway

First, the designers needed to deal with the lot, part of which had experienced localized landslides, while half-of-an-acre had been taken over by poison ivy. “Furthermore, none of the trees had been kept up so invasive species had moved in,” Kurrle recalls. The current owners, one of whom hails from New Zealand, wanted to keep the landscaping as minimal as possible. They wanted to give the natural plants an opportunity to flourish, while emphasizing a down under feel with New Zealand Cabbage trees and succulents surrounding the front of the property.

One of the first architectural fixes was tackling the homeowner’s lack of privacy. “The home is really close to the road and we needed to do something that addressed that and dealt with the existing structure,” he says. Instead of doing a heavy remodel, the firm opted for quite the clever hack: utilizing a siding that had never been used before in Northern California.

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“They wanted something low maintenance,” he says. “We had explored metal panels, perforated metal, wire mesh. Eventually, we ran across the final product on social media.”

The material, a wood-fiber, self-extinguishing composite with aluminum reinforcement tubes, is made by an Italian company and had been used previously in Southern California. It had never before been used by any contractors in the Bay Area, so they had to do a lot of research and due diligence to make sure it would produce the look they were going for. “It has a lot of different profiles,” he notes.

Before: Main Living Space

After: Main Living Space

After: Kitchen

Feldman Architecture furthermore decided on a louvre system, which would allow light in while keeping privacy at a max. The new entryway leads guests toward the front door in a way that is both subtle and more visually interesting.

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Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

Inside, the team transformed a choppy, main living space into an expansive modern retreat with impressive views. Throughout, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home features river rock flooring, a simple teak millwork kitchen, a luxurious master bathroom, and two large decks. The lower terrace provides access to the vast backyard. With a focus on nature and clean interiors, the home now matches in both form and function.

Before: Back Terrace

After: Back Terrace

Related Reading: Focus on Feldman Architecture’s Environmentally-Conscious Homes

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Feldman Architecture – Chris Kurrle/@feldmanarchitecture

Builder/General Contractor: Olivewood Inc. – John Rodhouse

Structural Engineer: Sheerline Structural Engineering

Landscape Design Company: Surface Design Inc.

Cabinetry Installation: Barlett Cabinetry

Photographer: Paul Dyer /@dyerphoto

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Before & After: A Portola Valley Home Draws Inspiration From Down Under