Wired for change
A high-tech remodel for a Palo Alto cottage

by Susan Golovin / photos by Dasja Dolan

Ami and Rob Williams' cottage in Palo Alto's Downtown North neighborhood looks nothing like the original. "We basically gutted the place and added the master bedroom and garage," Rob says of the home that was built in 1948 and never remodeled.

The great room -- a combo kitchen, dining area and living room -- is divided by color, rather than walls.

In addition to space, they also added color -- lots of it -- as well as innovative design and an electronic "control room."

Although a somewhat modest 1,620 square feet in size, the cottage immediately catches the eye. Perhaps it is the purple-accented bay window -- or the thick chain that serves as a downspout. Or maybe it's the separated, graduated, marble "stairs" leading to the front door, that seem to be growing out of the manicured lawn.

The fireplace in the master bedroom is elevated, keeping the lines clean and simple.

As soon as you enter the front door there is a "wow" effect created by color: The open space, unified by a random-plank maple floor, includes a living room, dining room and kitchen. Areas are delineated by vivid wall colors: red, two shades of blue and purple. The red, fireplace wall is curved to add interest. A cathedral ceiling further adds to the drama of the room.

Divided-light doors, with multi-paned windows, are opened by a switch. "Since they face the street, it provides greater security," Roy explains. Sliding-glass Marvin doors lead to the backyard deck, around which the house is built.

In this house phone calls are electronically announced and the entire property is covered by real-time sensors. Ami and Rob can check on their sleeping toddler from any room in the house.

Part of the garage was turned into an office, with a white, epoxy floor and modern, track lighting.

A 21st-Century control closet is located behind the kitchen. Rob, an engineer, took Ikea cubicle partitions, bolted them together and put his newly fabricated "shelves" on wheels to store the equipment. The brain of the house consists of controls for the lights and the keyless entry pad, MP3 audio, a digital video recorder, a Web server and all manner of other gear. A fan is automatically triggered to prevent overheating the area, and the closet is paneled in foam, which buffers the noise.

The two bedrooms are obscured not by a door, but by a slanting entryway off the living area. One doesn't notice a nearby mechanical closet because the door is hung on invisible hinges.

The living room seems larger because of the cathedral ceilings and contiguous maple floor. A red, curved wall houses the elevated fireplace.

The master bedroom is 160 square feet. Long rectangular windows on either side of the bed, sliding glass doors to the deck, and a 12-foot ceiling all keep the room from feeling constricted. In addition, the Douglas fir doors leading to the room let in light, adding depth.

The bed and mattress are from Dolce Dormire Furniture in Santa Monica. Cleverly, the mattress can be lifted to provide well-used storage space. "Ami's closet has a sliding door to conserve space, and there is more storage underneath the closet floor," Rob points out.

A set of graduated marble 'stairs' leading to the front door provide early clues that this is more than a modest Palo Alto cottage.

An elevated, remote-control fireplace, on the reverse, positive curve of the living room wall, is surrounded by shelving. Red, green and yellow niches are focal points for decorative objects.

The master bath also has a maple floor, but it is distinguished by narrower planks laid parallel to those in the bedroom. "We maintained the same flooring to enlarge the space," says designer/architect Gordana Pavlovic. The Duravit toilet hangs from the wall, eliminating a bulky base.

A basic Ikea cabinet was completely renovated for use as a vanity. Outlets were put in the back of drawers so that counters could remain clutter-free. The piece is covered with a thick resin in which pebbles are imbedded deeply enough to create a unique and practical surface. The pattern is repeated on the shower floor, which is slanted to drain onto real pebbles.

The sink sits on a basic Ikea cabinet, covered with a thick resin embedded with pebbles.

The couple use a section of the garage as office space. With its shiny white epoxy floor and multi-paned side doors it is hardly a typical suburban catch-all. "We decided on the commercial steel fold-up garage door because I wanted the ceiling space for lights," Rob says. A full bathroom completes the space.
What would he do if he could do it all over again? "I would put a deck on the roof," he says. "There's a lot of wasted, usable living space up there."

Resources:
Architect/designer: Gordana Pavlovic, Gordana Design LLC, 302 Bryant St., Palo Alto; (650) 566-1719
Contractor: Thompson Brooks, 375 Rhode Island St., San Francisco; (415) 581-2600