East Bay Ranch House Makeover: Fremont California
The owners of this house asked us to help them with a complete makeover of the main living areas of their ranch-style house. They had already completed a remodel of two bathrooms and experienced the frustration of not having a thoroughly thought-out idea of what they wanted before they started construction. When they choose us to do the project, we could see they valued the careful and thoughtful design approach we promote. They were ideal clients and allowed us to guide them through the entire process from designing the layout, developing a comprehensive interior design, preparing thorough construction documents, assisting in the contractor selection, and being actively involved throughout the entire construction process.
The project required tackling three main objectives: to open up the main living areas including the kitchen, fix an enclosed courtyard with leaky skylights, and reconfigure and enlarge the existing laundry space. As part of the design process, we sought to improve the basic flow of the living space, create a more functional layout, and introduce more natural light opportunities.
As stated above, the main focus for the project involved the main living areas. We created one large consolidated space for the living room and kitchen and opened the view from that room to the newly refurbished rear garden area. We raised the ceiling in the main living space and incorporated several lighting sources to add the ability to create different lighting moods within the space. We added much needed storage areas along the hallways as well as in the entertainment center and kitchen space.
One area of concern involved fixing an enclosed courtyard that had leaking skylights. The skylights had been added by a previous owner to enclose the former outdoor space that was located in the middle of the house. The owners wanted to remodel the space so that it was more integrated into the house as an interior space, something the previous owner tried to do unsuccessfully. Our solution started with designing a new skylight system that would provide a more reliable barrier to the heat and water intrusion. We used a commercial product that was designed for large span locations. This product also had a nice way of filtering the light. In this new space, we were able to provide storage (shelves and cabinets) for the owners to organize their collections of books and objects.
We also recommended a landscape architect and coordinated their work with ours in order to create an inviting and easy flow between the interior and outdoor spaces. The rear yard was completely reconfigured with a new swimming pool, hardscape, planting, and outdoor lighting.
CREDITS
Architecture and Interior Design:
Kaplan Architects
San Francisco, California
General Contractor:
Forrest Bodily Home Improvement
Fremont, CA 94536
Structural Engineer:
Element Structural Engineers, Inc.
Newark, CA 94560
Landscape Architect:
Kikuchi + Kankel Design Group
Half Moon Bay, CA
Photographer:
Mitch Shenker Photography
Novato, CA