“Acacia ave.”
This Spanish Style Residence in the Oakland Hills was in need of major repair from water damage and updating to meet the needs of a modern family. We did not want to loose the charm of the age and detailing, rather we wanted to revive and celebrate this classical style.
All new windows and doors, clay tile roof, mechanical systems, interior layouts, and finishes were completed with care and attention.
Also to note, we excavated the unfinished basement to create a full height, 1100 square foot ground floor, containing a bedroom, game room, bathroom and laundry room that also hides the up-to-date mechanical room housing a 3-zone forced air system and high efficiency water heater.
Demolition and salvaging of the interior
We stripped 75% of the interior and rebuilt with a new layout adding 2 bedrooms , 2 bathrooms , and a game room. We used chamfered arches, diamond veneer plastered walls, mahogany doors and trim, and classical fixtures that were true to this historic period.
We “underpinned” the entire house and dug out 30” of soil, and installed new retaining walls to create a full 8’-0” ceiling and lots of much need built-in storage. This was a large undertaking to say the least. ;) oh, and we installed a laundry chute from the 3rd floor to ground level.
Replacement of original roof
We stripped the original roof and kept 25% of the usable tiles, and sourced “reclaimed tiles” from the 70’s-80’s that were already painted , but much stronger than the 1920’s original tiles. We took great care to detail the edges with copper, install (2) skylights, and mix the reclaimed tiles in a natural way.
Neighbors uphill can really enjoy the roof, and it represents one of the finest roof replacements in this neighborhood.
Interior finishes
When assembling the finishes, we focused on “re-using” all of the interior doors, as well as fabricating 1/2 a dozen new ones to match the original. We replaced all the window sashes with dual pane glazing replicating the originals, while keeping the frames, brass hardware, and meeting the stringent energy code compliances.
The 3rd floor doors are single panel doors, while the 1st and 2nd floor are defined by (8) panel doors. When tiling, we used hand sculpted Moroccan tiles to give warm, historical flavor to these 3 bathrooms.
Interior wall finishes
We used a diamond finish plaster to render the walls straight, and left a texture reminiscent of old methods. We then painted the surfaces with a Matte finish “Farrow and Ball “ paint which drys with a soft velvet feeling, yet hard and durable beneath for a large action of a modern family.
I also hired a fantastic local cabinet maker whom whom I worked with directly to achieve the historic detailing and internal function that matches this house. Every room has custom cabinets and built-ins.
