Berkeley Classmates

Over the course of a collaborative and deeply personal 4-year long design process, this 1920 house, originally designed by trailblazing architect julia morgan, was thoughtfully updated for modern living. with its grand stature and original details, the house was uncommonly terrific — a dream project for a research-obsessed design firm made up of 12 women.

Instead of drawing inspiration from artwork, Lauren started with a color palette — hand-mixing paint colors inspired by 90s movies. by introducing a lot of color, we were able to express a lively and fun point of view without disrupting the architecture.

During an early walk-through, the builder discovered the original architectural blueprints, rolled up and hidden behind a wall panel in a small room under the stairs. We framed one of Morgan's hand-drawn pages and hung it on the wall of that hidden room, which is covered in blue moire, the same shade as the ink.

From the start, the clients wanted to inspire their three daughters with memories of building and growing up in a home that honors the original details of an exciting, historic structure — what better way than to build a secret nook to celebrate and honor that history.

This collaborative project celebrates one of the first female architects by highlighting original works and commissions from a series of women artists, craftspeople, landscapers, and, of course, our design team. This powerful group of mostly-female professionals respectfully renovated this historically important structure, shepherding it into its next life while honoring and celebrating its history as an authentic Julia Morgan gem.