Portola Valley Residence

The clients wanted to remodel their poorly laid out mid-century home. Having been added onto several times, it no longer worked for their active lifestyle. A majority of their time was spent in their 10-foot wide, hilly backyard. After much thought on how to upgrade the existing structure, it became obvious that tearing down and relocating the house 25-feet to the east, at the edge of the hillside, would maximize the rear yard and give the client the indoor/outdoor lifestyle they desired.

The new house is a simple, rectilinear plan, laid out in a continuous sequence. On the ground floor is the entry, formal living and dining rooms, TV room/den, guest quarters, and artist studio. The primary suite, two children’s bedroom, and man cave make up the second floor, with a covered outdoor-sitting room and kitchen, off the den, providing another year-round living space. To create a treehouse effect, large sliding doors and panoramic windows frame backyard views and the downslope grove of trees.