This project was for an attorney and an artist, and their eclectic art collection. The client’s love of nature attracted them to this site, in spite of the uninspired existing house. The design focuses on elevating the level of design while increasing views to the beautiful surroundings. These goals were achieved without an addition and with limited changes to the shell of the home.

The existing builder-grade home was an amalgamation of dark, marginalized rooms. The kitchen, buried in the shadowy recesses of the house, was socially isolated, short on natural light, and without a view. An enclosed, conventional box-stair crashed down into a congested entry hall.

The intervention opens up the house to exploit the dramatic tree-covered landscape. Exposed steel beams and columns substitute bearing walls, and lend an unexpected industrial feel to the interior. A sculptural steel stair with open risers replaces the enclosed stair. This strategy allows for long sight lines through the house and invites light to spill into the artist studio at the lower level.

In the remodeled master bathroom, a singular piece of custom casework serves as a vanity, medicine cabinet, and linen storage. The flush inset mirrors reflect the trees and sky creating a treehouse-like effect. The vibrant blue hue of the walls stands in contrast to the feeling of an ‘outdoor’ master bathroom.