For the Historic Dutch Gable renovation in Marin County, California, Richardson Pribuss Architects needed to strike a balance between honoring the historic fabric of the 1913 home while updating and modernizing the interior rooms.
“What one tries to do is really find the essence of the historic nature of the spaces. In this case, the living room, entry, and dining room were beautiful panel spaces,” says Heidi Richardson, design principal at Richardson Pribuss Architects. “We updated the lighting in some of those spaces, [and] then we call upon the use of details and materials that would have been of the [historic] era but weren’t necessarily in the house to start with.”
The kitchen was reworked while taking care to add elements that echoed the overall vintage vibe of the historic home. An asymmetric hood above the stove was clad in aged brass, adding a timeless and rich metallic warmth while introducing a more contemporary design reference. A blue island was added and surrounded by earth tones, creating a striking juxtaposition of materials in the room.
In the living room, original wood paneling and decorative interior columns celebrate the house's heritage and create a backdrop for the introduction of modern touches, including updated lighting and artistic window coverings. All three bathrooms in the home were reshaped and designed with a new classicism such as copper-edge details, according to Richardson Pribuss.
The home featured a modern addition to the primary bathroom, creating the impetus for the renovation and a desire to move forward with a reduced carbon footprint. The addition was removed and rebuilt as a sauna and indoor/outdoor shower, presenting the homeowners with views to Mount Tamalpais.
Richardson says the architect team paid careful attention to ensure existing furniture could be used in the new space.
“We didn’t do what some decorators do and come in and throw everything out and start over,” Richardson says. “That in many ways was the toughest balance between keeping the interiors authentic but adding the modern convenience. That was the essence of what we were trying to accomplish."
Project Details
Award: Grand
Category: Interior Renovations
Architect: Richardson Pribuss Architects
Builder: McGuire & Sons
Location: Mill Valley, California
Size: 3,265 square feet
