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Family room-kitchen on the Lagoon
Family room-kitchen on the Lagoon
Larkspur, CA, United States
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Other Projects by Jerry Jacobs Design, Inc.
Family room-kitchen on the Lagoon
Larkspur, CA, United States
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2014
SIZE
1000 sqft - 3000 sqft
BUDGET
$100K - 500K
Family Room & Kitchen Improvements.
Early 2013 Pablo Castro an old friend and specialist in high-end wood floors called me up. He said, your projects are contemporary and I have a client that likes that. This client needs help making some decisions. We ordered a wood floor and they didn’t like it. Can you help?
So I called his client Mrs. Gloria Moses. She had me over, and I looked at her floors. Gloria and Dave Moses her husband had recently moved from Seattle back to the SF Bay Area where she had lived before. Their house is perhaps the best home in Larkspur’s Riviera Circle, it has a great water view of the lagoon and a wonderful view of Mont Tamalpais directly above the water.
We started talking about the floor. I suggested some tones and specifications, she liked them, and she invited me to help them. Pablo came over and we talked about the floors. We would do a wide plank, finished washed slightly gray and brown to go with the Kitchen Cabinetry. Numerous samples were made and we selected some to show the clients, we also decided to run the floor at a 45˚ angle so there would be a flow from the entrance, which was at the corner. Also there was a 45˚ wall with a TV set. The floor would also cover a walkway, foyer and dining room, it would have a much nicer flow.
I am very respectful of both the clients needs and wishes and the person that refers me who I remain loyal too. Nevertheless one has to be truthful, so we worked together with myself as the Designer.
As Gloria and David, allowed me to understand what else they were after and I started to realize what was going on, without trying to step in anybody else’s toes, I realized I was the third Interior Designer on the job. They had also hired a kitchen designer and had ordered a kitchen, which was half installed, and the Kitchen designer was gone as well.
I started to consult for them apart from the wood floor. The wood floor was decided it was just a question of completing it.
The Kitchen cabinetry was not bad, however they were relying on the GC to make the decisions pending, and there were many. I was not happy with the look. The upper cabinetry ended at the sink. Then it started again, and almost immediately ended at the corner and angled pantry door. Then it turned and there were the ovens and another pantry recessed on the wall. There was neither continuity nor harmony. Dark brown cabinetry with white walls and colonial doors in between the contemporary pieces.
I suggested we do a fascia over the sink to join the cabinetry, then a recessed cove at the top, to close the deep space accumulating dust, and to paint the walls and doors between the the cabinetry in a matching color to produce continuity. Also for whatever reason the back splash material ended at the backsplash height, instead of raising the full wall height around the kitchen sink window, which was being left white. Again for continuity and simplicity. So I gave them my input, I wanted the backsplash tile to go full height and they complied.
The TV and fireplace wall were joined at an angle, the fireplace was traditional and Gloria hated it (so did I). The entrance to the family room directly viewed from the house foyer was only 35” wide. Nobody had said anything. The 2M+dollar home had a 35” hallway entrance to the family room, narrowing the water view as well. In most jobs there comes a time when you have to say what is in your mind, at the risk of getting fired.
I told Gloria the 35” entrance was a problem, furthermore that if she wanted to replace the fireplace it made sense to solve both problems together. She politely said thanks, but no thanks. We have had it. Months of waiting for the floor, the kitchen, and so on. We want a life. We will get back to you next year after we recuperate from this stress.
I insisted. A few days went by and Gloria and Dave must have realized I was right. So they called me to talk about it. I said we had to remove the wall that divides the Family room and the office, and take over a closet. Extend the angled wall were the TV was (popping out) and design something that made sense. We need structural engineering and a building permit.
As usual, and expected, this made them feel again like forgetting about it. They were living there and wanted peace. I insisted. They said OK!
I brought a structural engineer, and took advantage and also asked to remove some columns from the dining room in a separate area. Again, a nightmare everyone thought.
They came around though authorized me to proceed. We had the engineer produce some drawings and obtained permits and demo proceeded. Reinforcements were made. We selected a fireplace unit and the fireplace came in.
We tried very hard to get the 60” TV niche recess as far down and close to the Fireplace as possible. There is no code. There is no guarantee form either the Fireplace company nor the TV company as to heat and dissipation, exposure and so on. Nobody accepts any liability!
We designed the TV opening to be as set back as possible so the TV would remain set back from the fireplace wall, less exposed to heat. A wide-open perimeter for heat dissipation was also left around the unit.
Then came the finishes. As the kitchen cabinetry and wall directly opposite was brown, I did not want to do the same brown, but some color that would work as well together. I introduced them to Venetian Stucco and they loved it. We did a medium brown wall. Then another wall and so on. We selected red Venetian stucco for another wall, hopefully to come.
I always recess flush baseboards, so we did allowing a reveal between the wall an baseboard and using the left over granite from the kitchen counters, for a hearth extension (not required by code in this case) as well as for this walls baseboard. As they are Art collectors we incorporated an Art hanging track recessed flush in the upper part of the two new walls. The linearity of the Stainless or aluminum is also a nice highlight.
Now of course they love it and want to do more. Gradually I hope to be able to help them in other areas so there is consistency in the quality of the interiors, furniture and fixtures.
I’m most proud in addition to the design for convincing them to go ahead, removing the fear, solving an Architectural issue and increasing the value of the property and staying through completion. Most important, we remain friends after the storm.
Early 2013 Pablo Castro an old friend and specialist in high-end wood floors called me up. He said, your projects are contemporary and I have a client that likes that. This client needs help making some decisions. We ordered a wood floor and they didn’t like it. Can you help?
So I called his client Mrs. Gloria Moses. She had me over, and I looked at her floors. Gloria and Dave Moses her husband had recently moved from Seattle back to the SF Bay Area where she had lived before. Their house is perhaps the best home in Larkspur’s Riviera Circle, it has a great water view of the lagoon and a wonderful view of Mont Tamalpais directly above the water.
We started talking about the floor. I suggested some tones and specifications, she liked them, and she invited me to help them. Pablo came over and we talked about the floors. We would do a wide plank, finished washed slightly gray and brown to go with the Kitchen Cabinetry. Numerous samples were made and we selected some to show the clients, we also decided to run the floor at a 45˚ angle so there would be a flow from the entrance, which was at the corner. Also there was a 45˚ wall with a TV set. The floor would also cover a walkway, foyer and dining room, it would have a much nicer flow.
I am very respectful of both the clients needs and wishes and the person that refers me who I remain loyal too. Nevertheless one has to be truthful, so we worked together with myself as the Designer.
As Gloria and David, allowed me to understand what else they were after and I started to realize what was going on, without trying to step in anybody else’s toes, I realized I was the third Interior Designer on the job. They had also hired a kitchen designer and had ordered a kitchen, which was half installed, and the Kitchen designer was gone as well.
I started to consult for them apart from the wood floor. The wood floor was decided it was just a question of completing it.
The Kitchen cabinetry was not bad, however they were relying on the GC to make the decisions pending, and there were many. I was not happy with the look. The upper cabinetry ended at the sink. Then it started again, and almost immediately ended at the corner and angled pantry door. Then it turned and there were the ovens and another pantry recessed on the wall. There was neither continuity nor harmony. Dark brown cabinetry with white walls and colonial doors in between the contemporary pieces.
I suggested we do a fascia over the sink to join the cabinetry, then a recessed cove at the top, to close the deep space accumulating dust, and to paint the walls and doors between the the cabinetry in a matching color to produce continuity. Also for whatever reason the back splash material ended at the backsplash height, instead of raising the full wall height around the kitchen sink window, which was being left white. Again for continuity and simplicity. So I gave them my input, I wanted the backsplash tile to go full height and they complied.
The TV and fireplace wall were joined at an angle, the fireplace was traditional and Gloria hated it (so did I). The entrance to the family room directly viewed from the house foyer was only 35” wide. Nobody had said anything. The 2M+dollar home had a 35” hallway entrance to the family room, narrowing the water view as well. In most jobs there comes a time when you have to say what is in your mind, at the risk of getting fired.
I told Gloria the 35” entrance was a problem, furthermore that if she wanted to replace the fireplace it made sense to solve both problems together. She politely said thanks, but no thanks. We have had it. Months of waiting for the floor, the kitchen, and so on. We want a life. We will get back to you next year after we recuperate from this stress.
I insisted. A few days went by and Gloria and Dave must have realized I was right. So they called me to talk about it. I said we had to remove the wall that divides the Family room and the office, and take over a closet. Extend the angled wall were the TV was (popping out) and design something that made sense. We need structural engineering and a building permit.
As usual, and expected, this made them feel again like forgetting about it. They were living there and wanted peace. I insisted. They said OK!
I brought a structural engineer, and took advantage and also asked to remove some columns from the dining room in a separate area. Again, a nightmare everyone thought.
They came around though authorized me to proceed. We had the engineer produce some drawings and obtained permits and demo proceeded. Reinforcements were made. We selected a fireplace unit and the fireplace came in.
We tried very hard to get the 60” TV niche recess as far down and close to the Fireplace as possible. There is no code. There is no guarantee form either the Fireplace company nor the TV company as to heat and dissipation, exposure and so on. Nobody accepts any liability!
We designed the TV opening to be as set back as possible so the TV would remain set back from the fireplace wall, less exposed to heat. A wide-open perimeter for heat dissipation was also left around the unit.
Then came the finishes. As the kitchen cabinetry and wall directly opposite was brown, I did not want to do the same brown, but some color that would work as well together. I introduced them to Venetian Stucco and they loved it. We did a medium brown wall. Then another wall and so on. We selected red Venetian stucco for another wall, hopefully to come.
I always recess flush baseboards, so we did allowing a reveal between the wall an baseboard and using the left over granite from the kitchen counters, for a hearth extension (not required by code in this case) as well as for this walls baseboard. As they are Art collectors we incorporated an Art hanging track recessed flush in the upper part of the two new walls. The linearity of the Stainless or aluminum is also a nice highlight.
Now of course they love it and want to do more. Gradually I hope to be able to help them in other areas so there is consistency in the quality of the interiors, furniture and fixtures.
I’m most proud in addition to the design for convincing them to go ahead, removing the fear, solving an Architectural issue and increasing the value of the property and staying through completion. Most important, we remain friends after the storm.
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