Magnolia Street - A transformed house
A complete redo and the addition of a second story transformed this Menlo Park home into a spacious retreat.
The original house, a modest single-story 3/1 home nestled in the heart of West Menlo Park, underwent a thorough transformation. The comprehensive renovation encompassed both the interior and exterior spaces, including adding a detached garage with an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) adjacent to the main dwelling.
I do not take complete credit for the entire design, as it was a very much collaborative effort. My client was also an architect but had never done houses. His specialty was hospitality, and he had become frustrated trying to design an addition to his home. Life Magazine, back in the old print days, used to hire a famous architect and have them create a House of the Year.
My client discovered one year’s magazine and literally cut and pasted the house front drawings from the article to fit the width of his existing house. He came to me to help him, and I became his architect for the project. The interiors and rear were not so much based on Life Magazine as we adapted for his family’s lifestyle and provided a more modern open connection to the rear yard.
The design of the Life Magazine house is rooted in the traditional East Coast Shingle Style, which had gained popularity in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Palo Alto in the early 20th century. Having previously developed a skill set for this style through designs and detailing for several new homes, I was well-equipped for this project. The complexity of the design required meticulous attention to detail and structure of the wall, especially in the layering of steps, gables, crown molding, and trim bands. Contractors likened the process to building a piece of furniture on the outside of the house.
In a second phase, my client approached me to design a new freestanding garage with an attached ADU in the rear, intended for use as guest quarters or an office.
The portfolio of pictures is here.
