A Hillsborough family transforms an awkward 1970s home into a masterpiece with incredible San Francisco Bay views.
The Hillsborough property’s renovation includes a reconfiguration of its floor plan and a top-to-bottom reimagining of its aesthetic and flow.
THE PROJECT
At 6,000 square feet, a 1970s home, complete with the odd design vibes, badly needed a top-to-bottom renovation. A couple with three children (ages 9 to 15) wanted to gut each room and create a bright and cheerful family sanctuary.
The great room holds a floor-to-ceiling paneled wall, a Camerich sofa and Jonathan Adler swivel chairs.
THE TEAM
San Mateo-based TRG Architecture + Interior Design (trgarch.com), led by husband and wife team Randy Grange and Leslie Lamarre, was selected to tackle the ambitious project. “I enjoy working across a range of aesthetics,” says Leslie. “I don’t approach a project with preconceived notions about the style. I love getting to know each client, their stylistic preferences and how they like to live in their home.”
The TRG team uses wish lists, questionnaires, photos and many face-to-face meetings with clients to reach a common ground about the look and feel of each room. “We’re passionate about pulling together an aesthetic that [represents the couple] but more,” Leslie says. “We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t push our clients’ boundaries a bit, and clients are grateful for this. One of the greatest compliments we hear is, ‘This is totally us—but better!’”
THE GOALS
“I’ll never forget the day we did the walkthrough with the homeowner,” says Leslie. “The was a gaping hole in the family room’s ceiling, exposed wires and piping. Among other oddities was an in-ground hot tub butting up against the threshold of an exterior door in the family room. The homeowners gave us a tour. Randy and I were stealing horrified glances at each other as we trailed along. When we returned to the car, he said, ‘What was that?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, but we have to help them—they are so nice!’”
The kitchen features quartzite counters from Da Vinci Marble, a backsplash from Heath Ceramics and pendants from Visual Comfort.
In addition to a functional floor plan, the couple wanted calming, neutral tones and clean lines. “They adore the natural world and the ocean, but since they already have a home in Santa Cruz, we needed to make sure the aesthetic didn’t feel too [much like a] beach house,” says Leslie.
Randy and his team simplified the rooflines outside, and Leslie gained valuable headroom in the primary suite, which resulted in a spalike primary bathroom with views of the Bay and a generous walk-in closet. “The previously unused dining room became a study for two with a built-in reading nook so kids could get homework done,” says Leslie. “The formal living room became a music/game room with a convertible pool/dining table and a retro sunken sofa pit.”
GREAT ROOM, DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN
“When we inherited the project, this entire space bled into a hallway,” says Randy, who notes the entire home is lined in Carlisle (wideplankflooring.com) wide-plank, white oak flooring. “To properly define the space while providing areas for the television and an elongated linear fireplace, we designed a gorgeous floor-to-ceiling paneled wall, which is essentially a 23-foot-long by 2-foot-deep cabinet, open to the hallway at both ends.”
Standout pieces in the great room include a Camerich (camerichusa.com) sectional sofa, Jonathan Adler (jonathanadler.com) swivel chairs, a Jaipur Living (jaipurliving.com) rug and Industry West (industrywest.com) counter stools.
Game time, anyone? The living room features plenty of space for family leisure time and fun.
“The light wood tones of the paneled wall, bleached-wood console by Fallen Industry (fallenindustry.com), river stone coffee tables from Phillips Collection (phillipscollection.com) and coordinating sofa all work to keep things bright yet warm and cheery,” says Leslie, who added chairs from Ligne Roset (ligne-roset.com) in the dining room.
The kitchen features quartzite counters from Da Vinci Marble (davincimarble.com), a backsplash from Heath Ceramics (heathceramics.com) and pendants from Visual Comfort (visualcomfort.com). A Sub-Zero (subzero-wolf.com) refrigerator, Thermador (thermador.com) cooktop and Miele (mieleusa.com) ovens and dishwasher round out the space.
The primary bath offers a relaxing sanctuary with soothing tones.
LIVING ROOM
The homeowners use this long space as a music and game room boosted by a dining/pool table from Blue Plum (blueplumdesign.com). “We started with a dark gray room with redwood planking and an intrusive fireplace nobody used,” says Leslie. “It was pretty clear that the fireplace had to go, and that we needed to brighten up the space and set the tone for fun.”
The painting crew transformed the redwood flooring into a warm gray hue that complements the home’s other tones. The TRG team added monopoint lighting along the ceiling’s spine and LED uplighting below the skylight to illuminate the void at night. FLOS (flos.com) pendants and a multilight sconce add whimsy and design exuberance.
PRIMARY SUITE
Tranquility and relaxation define this room, with its neutral color palette. “White-on-white drapery and wall color blend to create a peaceful backdrop, while the teak root table and Heracleum pendant—named after the flowering plant that inspired it—help bring the essence of the natural world inside,” says Leslie. The primary bathroom boasts a soaking tub and a steam shower. A wall-to-wall mirror brightens the space while reflecting the breathtaking views of San Francisco Bay.
Soft, neutral hues create tranquil vibes in the primary suite.
HOW THE HOME IS LIVING
The homeowners are thrilled with the project’s results. “Randy and Leslie helped us see a greater scope of possibilities with our house than we ever thought possible,” says one of the homeowners. “By making some structural and layout changes, they maximized useable space, created better flow in the house and created a great room that combined our kitchen, dining and family room, which is now the heart of our household.”
DESIGN DETAILS
Home Type
Single-family
Location
Hillsborough
Architecture & Design
TRG Architecture + Interior Design
trgarch.com
RESOURCES
Camerich
Sofa, great room
camerichusa.com
Carlisle
Flooring, throughout the home
wideplankflooring.com
Da Vinci Marble
Counters, kitchen
davincimarble.com
Fallen Industry
Console, great room
fallenindustry.com
Heath Ceramics
Backsplash, kitchen
heathceramics.com
Jaipur Living
Rug, great room
jaipurliving.com
Jonathan Adler
Swivel chairs, great room
jonathanadler.com
Ligne Roset
Chairs, dining room
ligne-roset.com
Miele
Oven, kitchen
mieleusa.com
Phillips Collection
Coffee tables, great room
phillipscollection.com
Sub-Zero
Refrigerator, kitchen
subzero-wolf.com
Thermador
Cooktop, kitchen
thermador.com
Visual Comfort
Pendants, kitchen
visualcomfort.com
Photography by: BRAD KNIPSTEIN; STYLED BY MIKHAEL ROMAIN
