Robert Frear Architects

Overlooking the Presidio of San Francisco, this renovation for a young family accommodates the functions of contemporary living (Kitchen, Dining, and Family Room) within the architecture of the 1920’s English Tudor home. The new work is decidedly modern with a number of traditional details that refer back to the craft of the original house.

Built in 1939 in a Colonial Revival style, the only remaining elements of the original home were the large, well-proportioned windows at the front and rear of the house. This encouraged a plan that located the important rooms (living, family and master bedroom) at either ends of the house, taking advantage of the abundant natural light. Smaller, less important functions are located in between. Polished in detail and decoration, the home has the sophistication of a city rowhouse, complete with a multi-level backyard garden.

An existing sleeping porch, bathroom and closets were collected together to create a generous Master Bathroom Suite. Spare yet elegant, these rooms recall the style of Louis XVI that is consistent with the house.

Originally conceived as a voluntary seismic upgrade, the house became so unbuttoned during selective demolition that the opportunity for renovation quickly revealed itself. Details both large and small, interior and exterior, eventually brought this modest Tudor-style home to full bloom. A simple elegance and sensitivity to the original structure resonates in every room.

Check out our Potting Shed project that was recently featured on Houzz! https://www.houzz.com//a-special-potting-shed-for-a-sonoma

This can be described as an updated version of 19th century farm buildings with a modern, functional plan. Stone was used for the foundation and low walls, wood framed with board and batten siding. The angled roof, is comprised of redwood decking and corrugated steel. Stone pavers and gravel make up the floor of the potting shed. The sink is made of cast concrete with custom metal legs.

The renovation of this 1925 Mediterranean Revival focused on modernizing the eighty year-old house to make it useful for a growing San Francisco family. In order to meet this demand, larger rooms were created from collections of smaller, antiquated spaces. Most importantly, the design introduced natural light wherever possible. Skylights were added or replaced, windows that had been filled-in were re-opened, and generous doors were added to exterior walls. While the change to the interior is dramatic, the exterior subtly improves upon the clarity of the original style.

The simple gable form and horizontal banding of this small, freestanding guest house allude to the Colonial Revival style of the existing main residence. Due to its location at the edge of a lush property populated by mature magnolias, coastal oaks and Japanese maples, the small structure takes on the qualities of a garden pavilion. Large doors open in the summer to take advantage of the tranquil setting and flood the meticulous craftsmanship of the modern interior with light.

A product of multiple renovations, this former carriage house lacked a cohesive plan. In order to create spatial clarify throughout the residence, two existing stairs were redirected to create an implied central hall. New skylights above each stair funnel light into a previously dark interior, further enhancing the connective space of the home. Key rooms adjoining this hallway, such as the kitchen and master bedroom suite, were modernized and reworked to create alignments where none existed before.

Located on a hill overlooking San Francisco Bay, the original clarity of this 1939 Gardner Dailey House had been muddled by a number of remodels. The new renovation began with the removal of an elevator enclosure which had been dropped into the entry stair, cutting off much needed light into the space. Further changes were made to quietly reinforce the vertical height of the public spaces, to improve the flow of the private spaces, and to modernize the kitchen and bathrooms.