A new home in Menlo Park receives the all-important finishing touches that strike a gorgeous balance between flair and functionality.
The design team’s triumph includes blending indoor and outdoor living areas.
THE PROJECT
A couple with two young children moved into a new 5,900-square-foot Menlo Park home with an open floor plan featuring six bedrooms, six full baths, a full basement, a gym, a swimming pool and a covered porch. It was a classic blank canvas that desperately needed an aesthetic direction.
THE TEAM
The homeowners selected designer Lauren Goldman, founder of LORO Architecture + Interior Design (loro.design), for the ambitious project. “From the beginning, our work with clients is collaborative,” says Goldman, who designs based on how clients live, work, relax and entertain. “As the design evolves, we use 3D modeling to help the clients visualize the result. This powerful process allows immediate feedback from the client.”
Goldman says the Menlo Park home aligns with LORO’s style and her affinity for natural light with oversize windows and exterior doors. “We love modern design, but we also crave emotionally warm settings. Of course, we’re always thinking about what it will be like for a family to inhabit a space. For this project, we assembled a palette for the exterior and interior materials that combined modern detailing with softened natural materials with fluted wood, oak-stained floors and ribbed stonework at the fireplace.” Goldman’s team curated all of the home’s furniture and artwork.
The dining room, featuring a table from Prevalent Projects, is the first space guests see as they enter the home.
THE GOALS
“The clients knew they wanted to truly live indoors and outdoors in their new home,” says Goldman. “We designed the back porch to be usable throughout the year. This space keeps you from the sun in the summer but also keeps you warm in the winter with heaters integrated into the ceilings. They also wanted modern lines with warm materials.”
The kitchen features softened ends on its island, making it visually approachable and easy to move around. The team also added bi-fold windows above the sink for passing food outside.
LIVING ROOM
“The living room’s central focus is a ribbed terrazzo stone floor-to-ceiling fireplace surround by Ann Sacks (annsacks.com),” says Goldman. “This mirrors the wood-reeded cabinets of the kitchen island. Bookshelves and hidden storage flank the fireplace.”
The LORO team layered the space with a sofa from Case (casefurniture.com), a coffee table from Nickey Kehoe (nickeykehoe.com), Jason Trotter (@trotter_studio) artwork via Le Bennett (lebennett.com) and Kolbe (kolbewindows.com) windows.
The home boasts lovely light fixtures throughout, all accented by abundant natural light.
DINING ROOM
The dining room is the first thing guests see as they enter the home, and it has views to the backyard. Although the room blends seamlessly with the kitchen and living room as part of an open floor plan, the LORO team defined the space with a stained wood vaulted ceiling and skylights to draw in natural light above the table. “We wanted this space to have a unique aspect and communicate that this was at the hub of the home—a place and space to gather,” says Goldman, who added a dining table and chairs from Prevalent Projects (prevalentprojects.com), lighting from Atelier Alain Ellouz (atelier-alain-ellouz.com) and bi-fold doors form La Cantina (lacantinadoors.com).
The living room features a sofa from Case and a fireplace surround from Ann Sacks.
KITCHEN
Storage and style take center stage in this busy family space. “Because of the softened ends on the island, it’s approachable and easy to move around while prepping meals for entertaining guests,” says Goldman. “The shape’s gentle curves are both comforting and elevated. You might see it in a modern Parisian bistro in the 8th Arrondissement.”
Goldman also followed her clients’ wishes to break down the barrier between the indoors and outdoors by sourcing bi-fold windows above the main sink. The design triumph allows food to be passed to the outdoor kitchen. Other standout elements include Prague pendant lights from Atelier Alaine Ellouz, Terrazzo slabs from Ann Sacks, cabinet hardware from Rocky Mountain Hardware (rockmountainhardware.com) and a faucet from Brizo (brizo.com).
The primary suite’s gorgeous bath
ENTRY AND POWDER ROOM
“We love pulling a design detail through every custom home we design,” says Goldman, who selected a Croft House (crofthouse.com) mirror and Lulu and Georgia (luluandgeorgia.com) credenza for the entry. She also created a memorable powder room with Sean Lavin via Visual Comfort (visualcomfort.com) lighting and byCOCOON (bycocoon.com) sink.
HOW THE HOME IS LIVING
“The clients love their home and are constantly entertaining friends there,” says Goldman, who heard the family uses the outdoor covered patio year-round. “It’s so rewarding to design a space and have it live up to our vision.”
A built-in cubby is great for boots, jackets and hiding school projects.
DESIGN DETAILS
HOME TYPE
Single-family
LOCATION
Menlo Park
DESIGN
LORO Architecture + Interior Design
loro.design
RESOURCES
Ann Sacks
Terrazzo fireplace, living room
annsacks.com
Atelier Alain Ellouz
Lighting, dining room, kitchen
atelier-alain-ellouz.com
Brizo
Faucet, kitchen
brizo.com
byCOCOON
Sink, powder room
bycocoon.com
Case
Sofa, living room
casefurniture.com
Croft House
Mirror, entry
crofthouse.com
Jason Trotter via Le Bennett
Art, living room
@trotter_studio, lebennett.com
Kolbe
Windows, living room
kolbewindows.com
La Cantina
Bi-fold doors, dining room
lacantinadoors.com
Lulu and Georgia
Credenza, entry
luluandgeorgia.com
Nickey Kehoe
Coffee table, living room
nickeykehoe.com
Prevalent Projects
Table and chairs, dining room
prevalentprojects.com
Rocky Mountain Hardware
Hardware, kitchen
rockmountainhardware.com
Photography by: PAUL DYER, @DYERPHOTO
