18 DIGS.NET | 2.19.2021
P R O F I L E | W A L K E R W A R N E R A R C H I T E C T S
The new two-story, steel-cased glass box now comprises the
open-concept kitchen, family room and master suite. Techni-
cally, Walker and his team also had to bring the original house
up to California's earthquake code, which led them to remove
the stucco and plaster exterior before adding steel to reinforce
the foundation and putting in the new plaster. "Our goal is to
create well-designed architecture from durable materials that
stands the test of time," says Walker. "A building shouldn't just
feel right today; it should still feel right 50 years from now."
Adorned with a Judith Braun mural, the home's original
entry hall was kept intact in terms of size and layout. The living
room, which hosts a cast plaster Rose Uniacke table, was also
preserved. The family room, furnished with a comfortable B&B
Italia sectional, was added, while the dining room—adorned
with an Ilse Crawford brass console—was enlarged and
connected to the rest of the public living areas through larger
doors to provide a better sense of flow between all the spaces.
Four bedrooms occupy the second floor while the fifth, which
is located on the top floor, is currently used as a gym.
Inside, the challenge consisted of finding harmony while
respecting the tastes of both owners. "[The idea was to] thread
the needle between the husband's very modernist sensibili-
ties and the wife's love of the historic elements of the house,"
Walker confesses. The moldings were changed to be simpli-
fied, and the decorative wooden cornices and columns were
replaced with custom fiberglass reproductions, recreating the
original architectural details. Interior designer Chloe Warner
from Redmond Aldrich Design played a major role in finding
the right balance between the owners' aesthetics and creating
INTERIOR DESIGNER
CHLOE WARNER FROM
REDMOND ALDRICH
DESIGN WORKED ON
THE INTERIOR SPACES
WHERE NATURAL AND
MUTED TONES PREVAIL.
THIS PROJECT REFLECTS A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN ITS
HISTORICAL CHARACTER AND A CONTEMPORARY WAY OF LIVING.
A
R
C
H
I
T
E
C
T
U
R
E
+
D
E
S
I
G
N
