“Brad grew up in Greenbrae, so heading back to Marin was always the plan,” says Sonia Green, recalling the move she and her husband, Brad Green, made from San Francisco to Kentfield more than a decade ago. The year was 2013, and the Greens had just purchased a 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath midcentury home. But while the home had enough space and an ideal location, they knew it would need a remodel — especially the kitchen, which still had original cabinetry from the 1950s. “There had been a lot of minor updates and temporary fixes done to the house over the years, but it was in desperate need of modernization,” Sonia says. “The design was mismatched and dated, doors and appliances were breaking, and we didn’t have nearly enough storage space for our needs.”
The project would have to wait, however, while the Green family grew to five with the addition of their two girls, now 7 and 10, and a “super friendly” goldendoodle. In the meantime, they mulled over how to proceed. “We really needed functional updates — modernized appliances, more built-in storage throughout and a better work-from-home option — but we also wanted to be able to look around the house and love what we see,” Sonia says.
Eventually, they turned to interior designer Megan Warren, who had worked with friends on a remodel, to help them come up with a plan. “They pulled me in to help them visualize the different options and figure out what made the most sense for their budget,” says Warren, whose namesake interior design firm is located in Alameda. Along with a team that included architect Andrew Feldon, Warren got to work with the aim of improving the home’s functionality, as well as style.
The overhaul of the largely enclosed, galley-style kitchen started with the removal of several walls between the kitchen and primary living space and the relocation of the entry to the garage. The team also made the difficult decision to retain a key structural post — a compromise that ultimately enabled them to enlarge the kitchen, reconfigure it in an L-shape and add an island. Additional design highlights include custom cabinetry painted in a lush deep teal shade, dolomite countertops, a Fireclay Tile backsplash and Visual Comforts pendants. “We talked about where everything was going to live, including the paper towels, the spices and the lunch boxes — that’s something I’m really into,” Warren says.
In the adjacent dining area, Warren added built-in storage and reoriented the new Design Within Reach dining table and Room & Board chairs to allow more space between the kitchen and the family room. “I call it the dance party area,” she laughs. A metallic glass Bomma chandelier sourced through Shears & Window in San Francisco adds a glamorous touch.
The family room already had an appealing vaulted ceiling and skylights, but a built-in bar and storage around the fireplace were outdated. Now, the space boasts custom white oak cabinetry with integrated speakers, an updated fireplace clad in porcelain tile, and a desk for Brad to work from home in place of the former bar. A wider doorway with a pocket door improved access to the space. As for the furnishings, “They had to be durable,” Warren says, including the sectional sofa from BenchMade Modern, leather chair from Four Hands and pedestal end table from Arteriors.
In the primary suite, the team was able to make more room for storage, including built-in his-and-hers closets, by removing the fireplace in the living room and reconfiguring the hallway to the girls’ bedrooms. The en suite bathroom, meanwhile, got a total makeover, including a new custom double vanity, quartz countertop and tile from Fireclay Tile and Ann Sacks, as did the second bathroom, embellished with Schumacher wallpaper. Completing the renovation are new furnishings in the living room, which now doubles as the girls’ crafting area; an enlarged entryway created by incorporating space from the overly large porch; and colorful art throughout that uplifts the spaces.
“Taking down a wall in the kitchen and adding a giant, storage-filled island was a total gamechanger,” Sonia says. “And, we have built-ins in almost every room, so we actually have a prayer of keeping the house organized now.”
Details:
Where: Kentfield
What: 2,000-square-foot midcentury home renovation
Interior design: Megan Warren Interior Design
Architect: Andrew Feldon
Lotus Abrams has covered everything from beauty to business to tech in her editorial career, but it might be writing about her native Bay Area that inspires her most. She lives with her husband and two daughters in the San Francisco Peninsula, where they enjoy spending time outdoors at the area’s many open spaces protected and preserved by her favorite local nonprofit, the Peninsula Open Space Trust.
