Hillary Fox and Matt Jacobs had lived in their 1920s Prairie-style home in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood for eight years before they remodeled. They loved the bones of the house, but they had to walk through a warren of rooms to get to the dark, galley kitchen.
“We wanted to open it up with more light,” Hillary said. And she wanted it to be more modern, “but consistent with the principles of the house.”
Two years ago, they started the remodel. With two living rooms, they turned one into a dining room.
In the kitchen, they opened walls and added a new family room that stepped up their hillside lot. That gave them more space for their growing family.
The couple love clean lines and neutral colors. In the kitchen, they installed white Caesarstone countertops with translucent, white glass subway tiles, then added red-topped stools for a splash of color. They opened their home to the Rockridge Kitchen Tour last fall.
The family decorated with Matt’s original paintings, inspired by Modigliani.
Here’s the complete slideshow:
For those choosing artificial trees this year, he suggested insetting pine bows through the branches so “it just tells you it’s Christmas.”
Ashleen also wanted an antique, vintage feel. She asked her grandmother if she was willing to part with her crystal chandelier. “My grandmother took it off her ceiling,” Ashleen said.
She does it because that’s what the previous owner of the house, Eloise Martin, did with her children — and Sue is so grateful that she and her husband, Rob, were able to purchase this house from her 10 years ago, that this is her way of paying homage to those that went before her.
The couple completely relandscaped the back yard around the pool, adding a hot tub, fireplace and tiki bar. They also remodeled the kitchen opening into a bar area. “I love everything about my home,” Sue said. “I love the fact that the best people in the world trusted in us enough to have it.”
For the Shefflers’ table, while he celebrated the Asian inspiration by using wooden Geisha statuettes and delicate orchids, he honed in on a simple yet whimsical concept: Chinese take-out.
2. Add tall, wispy orchids in clear glass or simple vases to add height.
The home was built by the Gallagher family, who owned Gallagher Fruit Co. when the area was known as the “Valley of Heart’s Delight.” One of Carol’s favorite pieces is a tile serving tray she keeps in the kitchen that shows the Gallagher’s pear packing label with their company name on it — a gift from her daughter-in-law, Rita.
It has become a favorite game room for all three of their grandchildren and a place for Tom to read since retiring as vice president of Argo Systems.
Saltilo tile floors greeted her in the entryway with a sweeping staircase with curved wrought-iron railings. Two steps down took her to the grand formal living room with plenty of space for the baby grand piano and their whimsical orange and black “Halloween tree” that adorns the front window for the autumn Rose Garden Homes Tour in mid-October.
One of Mary’s favorite spots for a little solitude is the lovely balcony off the master bedroom where she often reads or enjoys a cup of coffee while overlooking the lush backyard and swimming pool.
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