Like Minds

Lauren Nelson Design works with a builder in Ross to help bring his dream home to life

“Lauren Nelson Design is an interior design studio in San Anselmo, which is just a stone’s throw from this home in Ross,” says founder and principal designer Lauren Nelson about a home she and her team refreshed for a client who runs Ghirardelli Construction. “We loved working locally as proximity is so beneficial to the design process and approached this project like every other, first with the architectural language of the house, then with the client’s thoughts on functional needs, and then with a collaborative conversation on aesthetic goals.  With a clear architectural style, it was easy to determine what layers to add to the interiors to achieve the Spanish Revival aesthetic.”

The clients were originally drawn to the neighborhood because the wife grew up there, so they purchased the previous home many years before building the new Spanish-style, 2,800-square-foot residence. “They lived in the home for several years while they were planning the design of their future home, very different stylistically than what they were living in,” Nelson recalls. “The new house grew in scale modestly, taking advantage of the lot nicely with a compact footprint and well-proportioned rooms with taller ceilings and elevated finishes.”

Nelson and her team collaborated with Sutro Architects on the design of the exterior and interior layout of the home, then worked with the homeowners to finish the key spaces including the kitchen, bar/dining room, primary bath, powder room, and consulted on general architectural details throughout the home. “They wanted an elevated feel, with layers that made the home feel more designed vs. plain,” she notes. “We added wood beams to ceilings, arched doorways, chose materials like wrought iron, stained wood, handmade tile, natural stone and plaster to round out the rustic but refined aesthetic.”

“The Kitchen was the biggest area to tackle and nail the design,” says Nelson. “It’s the first thing you see when you walk into the home, connects the living and dining room to the exterior patio, and is the heart of the home, so we wanted the materials and finishes to translate well and flowed with the rest of the spaces.” Custom wood cabinets and marble countertops enhance the overall natural feel while plumbing fixtures from California Faucets and lighting from Hector Finch and Obsolete add maximal charm. A backsplash using Terracotta tile from Tabarka Studio that sits below and expansive ventilation hood, feels like a piece of art.

Aside from the project being so closely located to the firm’s office, the clients were beyond easy and lovely to work with. “They adore their home, and I would venture to say even more than the average homeowner since they played such an integral part in the actual building of the home,” Nelson remarks. “This was definitely a labor of love, and well worth taking the time to achieve the finer finishes and details. We’d do it all over again if we could!”

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