Modern times
A makeover for a Palo Alto townhouse

by Susan Golovin / photos by Mark Stoddard

In the master bath, a custom-made, movable teak piece was made to hold soap over the large, rectangular sink.

Gordana Pavlovic, CEO of Design Studio Gordana LLC, was very familiar with the townhouse near downtown Palo Alto that she decided to renovate for re-sale. "I've done major work on other units in the complex and I had a great set of drawings," she says.

The 2,000-square-foot, two-story space was built in 1973 and needed an overhaul. Pavlovic decided to completely open the first floor, basically making the kitchen, dining area and living room into one open space with a bamboo floor.

The only interior door on the first floor is the paned, opaque, orange-framed one that greets you as you climb a few stairs from the entry. It is the entrance to the powder room and it sets the modern tone, with its inset mirror lights and blue lighting in a ceiling cove.

A curved wall runs most of the length of the living and dining areas. "We re-routed ducting to make for more interesting geometry," says architectural intern Shelley Farrell. A snaky chain of ceiling lights emphasizes the curve.

At the far end of the room the wall has two cutouts with slanted, inside frames, vividly painted, one in green, the other pink. A small office space, just big enough to accommodate a desk and chair, is tucked into a space behind this wall. Voila! When you sit, the cutouts become windows into the living room.

The entrance to the kitchen is framed on one side by a 7-degree slanted wall that obscures the refrigerator and stove from view when you are in the other space. The sleek-fronted stainless-steel dishwasher is more visible, but it, as well as the under-counter white laminate cabinetry, rests on stainless-steel legs and gives the impression of furniture.

The kitchen counters are bamboo as is the top of the versatile wheeled island. The island, with its eight open compartments underneath, can be used for decoration as well as utility. As Pavlovic points out, "You can even wheel it outside onto the redwood deck when entertaining."

Curved track lighting echoes the curves of the living room walls, which hide the re-routed ducting. Large windows and sliding-glass doors visually expand the space.

Glass shelving inside the cabinets and wire shelving inside the lazy Susans provides for easy retrieval. The extra-deep Blanco sink is also a practical touch.

Casement windows and doors frame a view of a small, but dramatic side yard. The completely white pebbled space is enclosed by a black fence that makes the tree trunks lining it "pop."

"I left the banister as it is, and just painted it white," says Pavlovic. However, she did replace the steps. The layered bamboo stairs seem to float because they are supported only by hardware. The floors, stairs and brackets and cabinetry were all fabricated by Paradigm Floors in Point Richmond.

Brightly painted doors in blue, green and orange designate the upstairs bedrooms.

Opaque sliding doors front the bedroom closet, which features fittings from IKEA.

The master bath features a custom bamboo vanity, which provides plenty of storage and supports the square, above-counter sink. Drawers are designed to close if left ajar.

"I don't like to see metal supports for glass," says Pavlovic. Thus, the mirror above the vanity was floated forward on plywood so it would be flush with the glass on the shower door, creating a clean, mirror/glass intersection. Similarly, the metal bed upon which the door rests is buried.

"The slatted-teak shower floor is really pleasant to stand on," says Farrell. White, grosgrain-patterned tile provides interest and texture.

The door leading to the master bath is opaque, and designed to slide aside so as not to hinder access to the bedroom. Similar-looking, opaque sliding doors conceal the bedroom closet, with fittings from Ikea.

The kitchen features end-cut bamboo countertops, furniture-like cabinets and the dishwasher resting on stainless-steel legs, and an extra-deep Blanco sink.

Pavlovic took great pains selecting just the right placement for the thin, vertical, red, yellow and aqua tiles used in the second upstairs bathroom, which was also completely redone. The thin colors separate the 12-x 12-inch white tiles.

There are advantages to having worked on other units. Pavlovic's signature, multi-colored doors also adorn, and unify the outside of the building, and the same large, metal numbers are used throughout to designate addresses.

Resources:

Architect/designer: Gordana Pavlovic, Design Studio Gordana LLC, 650-331-7264 design@gordana.net

Building contractor: Scott Flegel, Flegel's Construction Co., Inc., San Jose, 408-269-1101

A round mirror with 12 halogen lights, reflecting the multi-paneled door, is a powder room standout.

Goal of project/design challenge: Create modern, light-filled and utilitarian space; replace bathrooms, flooring and storage

Unexpected problems/hidden costs: None, since already encountered in previous remodels within same complex

Year house built: 1973

Size of home: 2,000 sq. ft.

Time to complete: 3 months

Budget: $200,000