She did her home work
Architect remodels her own home in Palo Alto

by Susan Golovin / photos by Dasja Dolan

When architect Gordana Pavlovic purchased a 1920s cottage in Palo Alto's Downtown North neighborhood she knew that it would require a lot of renovation -- but she had a plan in mind.

Although the owner wanted to maintain much of the 1920s cottage, the massive fireplace had to go. She replaced it with an unadorned semi-circle gas fireplace.

"The home had never been restored and had its own soul," she says. "I wanted to preserve as much as possible of the old California cottage, yet modernize and give a South of France flavor, since my husband and I love that area."

This plan is evident in the entry living room. "The plaster is from Roussillon, France, where they mine the pigment," Pavlovic says, referring to the orange walls. "The acrylic glaze is brushed on, not rolled." The result is a surface that looks deeply textured yet feels smooth as silk.

Pavlovic wanted to maintain as much of the original cottage as possible, but the massive brick fireplace seemed to dominate the room. "I let it stay for a year," she says, before replacing it with an unadorned semi-circle gas fireplace that is flush with the wall.

Two parallel banks of maple cabinets run the length of the galley kitchen, which leads to French doors opening onto a flagstone patio.

The wavy-paned windows remain, as do the original moldings and square archway that leads to a rectangular alcove Pavlovic uses as an office. Track lighting illuminates both rooms.

Under the original oak and fir floors is a brand new, coiled hydronic heating system. "It's a European system that's very quiet and inexpensive to operate," she says. "We also replaced all the lighting with halogen, which is connected to a central computer."

These rooms overlook a private garden with olive and lemon trees. "Since it is a 6,000-square-foot corner lot, there was no privacy," she says. She solved this problem with Provencal-style walls that surround the property.

Immediately off the living room one enters the muted orange dining room. "These are the original walls. I used a two-toned, flat paint on the rough texture," explains Pavlovic, who mixes all the colors herself.

For the master suite, the owner/architect went minimalist modern, with sliding glass window walls leading to a tropical garden created by her husband.

A 250-year-old walnut dining table, also from Roussillon, is placed along one side of the room to leave a walkway in the middle. Moroccan doors, purchased in an antique store in Los Angeles, cover a niche that might once have been used for storing dishes. It now houses books, and the room also serves as a library. A bookcase from Ikea -- recreated with wood painted to look like stainless steel, sandblasted glass front and Michael Graves handles -- dominates another wall.
The galley-style kitchen reclaims space that was once a porch. It features a generous eight-foot corridor between two linear maple counters. All the appliances, except the stainless-steel Amana refrigerator, are Miele. Orange, blue and green accents on the wall are picked up in a tropical fish oil painting by Pavlovic, and are echoed in whimsical pendant lighting. French doors open to a flagstone patio.

A door that mimics a pocket door but is actually hung on an inside glider, hides the washer/dryer. When closed it creates a seamless wall.

The master suite, added on, is a completely modern and minimalist space. The floors are oak, trimmed in fir. A freestanding Poliform closet from Arkitektura in San Francisco and a simple bed are the only furniture. Sliding glass window walls frame the "outside rooms," a tropical garden created by Pavlovic's husband.

The master bath includes a shower with an opaque glass block wall that is part of the hallway -- thus providing privacy yet allowing for depth and light in the corridor. Another enhancement of space: The toilet is behind a wall that has cut-outs housing decorative objects.

The media room, painted in a soothing dark blue, is only 12 x 15 feet. But the 8-foot, 10-inch ceiling keeps it from feeling cramped. "It has wonderful sound," Pavlovic says, adding "an old building brings a sense of comfort."
Pavlovic is very pleased with the results. "This house has served as a laboratory of ideas for my other projects," she says.

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