I know Mid-Century Modern is The Bomb
these days, but I've been a fan long before it was the current flavor
of the design world. Through the tunnel, as we locals say, lies the small town on the other side of the Oakland Hills
known as Orinda. I usually think of cute 60's and 70's ranch houses and
newer "executive" homes when I think of Orinda.
Driving way up to the top of the hill, to an area of Orinda I'd not been in, to discover this jewel of a client and her mid-century home was a true wonder. "Lucky me, Lucky me!", I said pulling into the round driveway
Back View
It
reminded me of something you'd see high in the LA hills. Look at this view!
As if the views weren't enough, you can enjoy them from the pool:
This home
was built in 1950 and has only had a small handful of owners. Many
of the original features were intact including lighting and built in
bookshelves.
My client had certainly done her homework. She had
amassed a folder of furniture/home pictures of similar homes and was
ready for change. The strong, teal blue had been there since she and
her husband had purchased the home many years prior. While this
bright blue may work for more of what I think of as a Palm Springs
type of mid-century home, this was overwhelming all of the home's natural
brick and wood.
Before
The homeowner didn't want to lose the teal completely. So while we batted around the idea of adding in a grey into the mix, she really liked Deep Creek from Benjamin Moore, she decided to back off from that. The yellow is Waterbury Creme HC-31.
After
The entryway was another fun project. We ditched the teal again and highlighted the door framework with Sangria and Quincy Tan from Benjamin Moore.
Before
After
After painting was complete, she purchased new furniture and arranged it around this spectacular Roman brick fireplace.
Before
After
Next on the list for this jewel is a guesthouse and an update for the early 90's kitchen. A huge thank you to these homeowners for letting me come along on the journey!
