When a San Francisco couple was looking for a second house in Sonoma, California, they saw past the dark and embarrassing areas in this 1940s ranch house, the former home and office of a dear local physician. They knew a renovation, master suite addition, rear courtyard and pool would make it the retreat of their dreams. The results were fantastic, the couple left their city attic behind to live full time.
in a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who works from home
Location: Sonoma, California
Size: 1,900 square feet prior to the remodel; 2,500 square feet later
Before Photo
Since the house had served as a physician’s office and residence, the entryway was quite strange. “It was similar to the Winchester Mystery House,” architect Amy Alper says. “You walked into this very little room with three doors to choose from.” The whirlpool hallway foreshadowed the rest of the house, which was divided into little rooms.
Architect, Amy A. Alper
AFTER: “For those who have lived in the region for a long time, while they detected the construction, they did not see anything other than the beloved physician’s former house being refreshed using an elastomeric finish to the stucco and new energy-efficient windows selected to resemble the older,” Alper says.
Before Photo
The kitchen has been among the more cramped rooms at the house.
Architect, Amy A. Alper
AFTER: Alper opened the kitchen, dining room and living room to create one large, light space.
Architect, Amy A. Alper
A brand new skylight plays a massive role in brightening up things. Additionally, it is operable, bringing in fresh air and letting out heat. The kitchen has an updated traditional style, combining shaker cherry cabinets and Richlite counters, contemporary pendant lighting and glass backsplash tiles.
Another neat trick: Two rows of fluorescent lighting tucked to the ceiling cove add ambience to your kitchen when meeting California’s codes requiring more fluorescent lighting than incandescent.
Architect, Amy A. Alper
Alper place the bar countertop 42 inches to conceal any kitchen mess in the dining area. Translucent glass doors split the long expanse of reduced cabinets. New oak floors were stained to match present hardwoods.
Curved doors just off the dining room open to the outdoors.
Before Photo
From the back the house resembled a pair of pavilions, which inspired Alper’s renovation plans. The doors on the far left are the old dining room doors, which Alper replaced with the curved doors in the prior picture.
Architect, Amy A. Alper
AFTER: The arrangement in the far left is the rear of the original house (displayed in the last photo) using its own new roofline. The present two-car garage, using another story for storage and also a ground-floor workplace, is about the far right, in the conclusion of the new fiberglass pool.
The master suite addition in the middle feels as though it has been there. A courtyard that serves as an outdoor living room is created by the new layout.
Architect, Amy A. Alper
And here is your master suite addition’s opinion to the courtyard. It’s not tough to comprehend why the owners fell in love with Sonoma and have moved here full time.