1940’s Vacation Bungalow in Los Gatos

When I first saw this house, I could immediately imagine its original owners enjoying their time in the country away from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco in the 1940s. Situated on a hill, it was quaint and quirky and had undoubtedly served its occupants well for years. But, while this sweet little bungalow definitely had its charms, it required some pretty significant changes in order to meet the needs of its current owner Joanne.

An avid cyclist and self-proclaimed tinkerer, Joanne had a few key requirements for the remodel. First and foremost, the house needed to flow properly, contain usable and functional spaces for bike repair and storage as well as exercise, and essentially work with her active lifestyle -- all while maintaining the views of the mountains in which she was so fond of. With a lot of creative thinking, I was able to give this charming bungalow a redesign that compliments the casual and friendly style of its laid back owner.

Design Palette

Exterior

BEFORE

AFTER

Working with the hillside lot, an existing carport with drainage issues, and little allowable square footage to be able to add per town codes were just a few of the challenging constraints we overcame to meet and exceed Joanne’s requirements. One of her main concerns was being able to still enjoy the mountain views from the kitchen and dining rooms. We achieved this by keeping the garage roofline low to be able to see over it from inside the house.

The new 2 ½ car garage now has plenty of space for storage, tinkering and bike repair.

Kitchen/Dining Area

BEFORE

AFTER

Hand-picked leathered natural stone countertops, limestone tiles, all new appliances, and hand-forged steel light fixture accents give this completely redesigned kitchen a lift in style and functionality.

What was once a tight galley kitchen and laundry space is now a bright, open and airy space that feels warm and inviting.

We reconfigured the space in the kitchen to create easy passageways like this one from the front of the house all the way to the back deck.

Little touches like this ceramic cookie jar are reflective of Joanne’s passion for biking.

The textured steel light fixture not only illuminates the kitchen island but adds a sculpted element and slightly industrial feel to the space.

By reworking the original kitchen and entry areas, we were able to create a sizable dining area for Joanne, complete with a table and chairs and separate bar seating area for an up-close view of the mountains beyond.

We incorporated a modest wine refrigerator to the kitchen so Joanne can break out a bottle for special guests or her cherished family.

The gorgeous steel pendants above the dining table are rolled steel and another sculptural nod to the industrious tinkerer who resides here.

What once contained burlap wall coverings and an in-floor central heat vent, the modernized family room is comfortable and inviting and filled with natural light.

Bathroom

Working within a very small space, we were able to redesign Joanne a brand-new full bathroom.

After a few biking accidents, it became paramount that the bathroom become be more ADA friendly which was achieved without compromising on materials or design.

Stairway

In order to attach the new garage to the house, we added square footage which became a training room and the perfect place for exercise and injury rehabilitation.

Laundry Room

Client Testimonial

“Michelle did an excellent job remodeling my house. She took my rough comments about what I didn’t like as well as what I was looking for and used her incredible spatial vision (which I do not have) to create new beautiful and functional spaces in my home.”