We have been busy with all sorts of great projects the last few months. Here are a few snapshots.
Mudroom Bench – Very similar to one we did 10 years ago, but customized to perfectly fit the new space: narrower on one wall than the other. The lid is solid ash and the rest is painted. I need to get some photos of the blue interior. Thanks to Kelly Best and McBride Construction for the excellent craftsmanship.
Copper induction range with battery and walnut knobs (Berkeley company!) SANCO₂ heat pump hot water heater (tank inside, heatpump outside) that doubles as house heating system (Harvest System) ADU slab..getting ready for the concrete pour
The slab was poured and beautiful saw cut control joints added. Now the structural framing is underway. The tolerances are very tight in these small living spaces. Every inch matters. I was delighted to discover that the concrete work and framing has resulted in walls that match my drawings to the 1/16 inch.
Framing Underway (Oscar of McBride Construction hard at work) A small addition at the back of a small Berkeley house (we moved the storage, laundry and water heater to the middle and put the kitchen, dining nook, half bath, and reading nook at the back of the house by the yard. I like the deep eave over the door and windows and the pretty fir rafter tails We added a skylight in the middle of the house…a lot of bang for the skylight buck. To right of skylight is laundry, pantry, and mechanical space and to the left is the kitchen and then the back yard.
Finally did a photoshoot at a recently finished Accessory Dwelling Unit in the Berkeley Hills. Below you will see the photographer, Lenny Gonzalez, and the photoshoot models Eowyn & John.
This 2016 remodel recently sold. I was shocked by the selling price. The realtor was kind enough to share her photos. We remodeled the back of the house and the second floor to better connect to the yard and the south light. She also hired Shawn Lovell to build a very special staircase.
This is a photo from the upstairs bathroom and the interior window over the stairs (one shutter open.) I had thought we would put mirrors on the inside of the shutters, but owner didn’t want mirrors. This opening to the stairwell allows the bathroom to be filled with southern sunshine. Oak vanity by Aaron Larsen of Xylo Interiors. The vessel sink allows the vanity to be lower and nicer proportions.This is a view from the kitchen to the back….showing the light-filled stairwell and the french doors to the yardartistic shot looking down from the top of stairsExisting first floor – view from kitchen is of the laundryBetter connection to yard and south light. Laundry tucked out of view and staircase is nice to look at. (The garage is on that side of the yard close to the house)Second floor – you can see the opening in the bathroom over the stairs opposite the south facing window
This ADU is 160 SF. Backyard is small and client chose not to move the ADU to 4′ setbacks and enlarge because it would make the usable yard even smaller. It was quite challenging to fit all the Accessory Dwelling Unit requirements in such a tiny space. We got the redwood shakes from Humboldt county, Doors are Blomberg and the high performance skylights have exterior shades.
This project was completed a a few years ago, but I realized I never posted any finished photos because I was waiting for the landscaping and an interior sliding screen between office and living room. I think it’s done now and I hope to stop by soon to see it.
John and I both would love to build more strawbale structures. The thick walls (In this case 24″ thick, but 18″ is common) are really great architecturally and the inside is so quiet and well insulated. It is wonderful to use a natural material that is an agricultural waste product to insulate. Lime plastered strawbale buildings are also very fire resistant.
This photo shows the builder, John McBride & the construction of the curved walls at the doorsA fun, colorful cabinet for books and entertainment system and the deep window seat to the right (needs it cushion still) You can see the finished curves at the doorway to left. office window and desk built into the thick wallsWindows on the south side with concrete sills, golden lime plaster, and bright painted soffits I (& some AI ) added the garden in the foreground because this photo was taken before landscaping.)no AI on the garden here 🙂 deep bathroom windowTilework (Fireclay) and skylight (some temp plumbing that doesn’t match 🙂 for the observant. Plaster in the bathroom is clay plaster because of its humidity control and air cleaning properties. Kitchenette – If I was an interior decorator I’d add a piece of art and declutter the counter a bit and Martha Stewart the corner shelves, but this is just a snap shot) Now, in Berkeley, a bigger refrigerator is required. This is a screenshot from the concept model showing the windowseat and office, storage hallway, & bathroomanother screenshot from the concept model
Here are a few exterior shots of the integral color plaster walls. Action shots of the plastering team at work courtesy of Michael Scott.
The tiny house with its venerable mother house adjacent
Interior and detail shots will hopefully be forthcoming, (hard to get photos in such a small space with ongoing work and protection in place) but the exterior is really looking good.
The owner took these photos for me of our little ADU taking shape. In the first photo you can see our 4×6 rafter tails with a curve. These will get gyp sheathing above with non flammable (Hardiboard & Boral) material on the outside. No venting. (Roof sheathing is kept above the dewpoint with rigid insulation on top.) The lower eaves that are less visible will be enclosed completely. The last photo is john rabbeting one of the exposed fir beams for the interior.
I enjoyed adding a bit more pattern to simple white tiled tub and shower walls. This was a recent tiny house bathroom in North Berkeley. Work was accomplished by Steve Coleman Builders and Sarah Young Tile.
These guys are still waiting on some steel railings & southside deck & stairs, but you can see the basic transformation. We added some rooms on top and were sad to loose the distinctive little attic dormer. (See before shot below) I think we added just as much whimsical character back with the new details up top. Some serious energy upgrades and top to bottom remodel also occurred along the way.
I visited a ten year old project yesterday. This client commissioned me to design a translucent floor in her dark entry hall. There was already a skylight directly above.
I just realized that I never added this recent bathroom remodel to my digital diary. I wish I had a photo of the tiled shower surround because it is really pretty, but here is the vanity.
The countertop is Paperstone (FSC certified and also acoustically and thermally more like wood than most counters, but very durable) The bright purple floor is Marmoleum. The cabinet and mirror frame are ash. The light is from Metrolighting in Berkeley. The white rectangle is a secret cabinet. 🙂 There is space under the vanity for scale, stool, & waste bin….even a basket of bath toys.
Still not quite finished, The owner is doing many things himself…slowly but surely. I didn’t want to wait to get a few pictures.
This was a typical Berkeley bungalow situation where the kitchen was separated from the yard by a laundry room and a kinda tight breakfast nook. Owner wanted to better connect to the garden and also upgrade things a bit. The upgrades included new custom wood windows & dutch door (Acosta Woodworking). (The existing windows were mostly aluminum sliders installed in the mid 1900s.)
Ash and painted cabinets were built by Xylo Interiors, Oakland. We collaborated on the design details.
Lots of good storage details make for a well organized kitchen
deedsdesign 