Bridget’s Dream

Bridget and Drew were happy with the bedrooms in their home and loved the vintage 1940s details, but between Bridget’s extended family and their active social lives, the house needed more space for entertaining and guests. The obvious answer was to expand into the backyard, but a towering and treasured redwood tree was positioned in an imposing location. We consulted with an arborist and found a workable strategy for a partial-width rear addition with a vintage-style “split-gable” roof. Due to the slope of the lot, we were able to accommodate a walk-out basement below the main floor, which houses a rec/guest room, a home office, and a full bath. The portion of the foundation which jogged around and over the root ball of the redwood tree became a day bed.

On the main floor, we removed the former back wall of the kitchen and reconfigured and opened it to a new living room with a vaulted ceiling. Beyond the living room, to provide for all-weather outdoor space and privacy from the immediate uphill neighbor, we envisioned a covered porch, a period detail that won Bridget’s enthusiastic support. To maintain symmetry in the vaulted living room, the portion of the ceiling underneath the full-width gable is dropped below the higher exterior roofline. We provisioned the extra space above as a loft in their son’s bedroom, a detail that won his enthusiastic support.

Adjacent to the covered porch, an extended deck surrounds the redwood tree and expands the higher elevation of the backyard, which now includes a swim spa. The addition added a bright, soaring space to the back of their home with a subtlety that makes it hard to discern where the old house stops and the addition starts. Bridget and Drew have enjoyed many happy times in their new home with friends and family.