A Bigger Splash

A summer home for a family based in Singapore that visits California with regularity and ritual, this historic 1936 Tudor home represents the very best of west coast living.

The design process really started in the great room. The incredible mahogany ceiling feels like the hull of a boat flipped upside down, and with the glistening bay below and the golden gate bridge in the distance, it is as if you’re about to be pulled away to the water at any moment.

While the house’s charm had certainly withstood the test of time, significant reconfigurations were required both from a maintenance perspective, and to update the space for modern living. In a thorough renovation, original architectural details were restored and replicated, while contemporary and historically-inspired interventions offer a fresh counterbalance. We were interested in personalizing the architecture, while respecting the house’s original intention. special features were added in nearly every space — stained glass, a solid wood bathtub, hand-painted wallpaper and a stone stage to ground the dining room are among a few.

The prompt from the start was to create a home that would be passed down within the family for generations to come — a space that would require little maintenance and updating to support the family’s seasonal schedule, and that holds space for a busy family to gather, cook, entertain and reflect. the result is a timeless blend of original and new, antique and modern — a home that was built to last, and to span generations both now and long into the future.