Oakland Craftsman Bungalow Renovation
A 1925 Historic Rockridge Home Is Renovated for the 21st Century
Gaslight Interiors focused on the kitchen, breakfast nook, master bedroom, and master bathroom in the first phase of the project.
A 1925 Historic Rockridge Home Is Renovated for the 21st Century
While touring our newlywed clients’ historic Oakland, California bungalow, we talked in detail about their vision for the extensive interior renovation of their house. They told us that before moving into their new home, many existing elements, such as the narrow, quirky stairway in a closet, the small “dysfunctional” kitchen, the lack of adequate storage space, and the absence of natural light, would need to change before they moved in.
After listening to our clients’ concerns and ideas about wanting a modern, clean, natural, uncluttered aesthetic while, at the same time, a space that exudes warmth and lots of natural light, we told them the good news: their 1925 Craftsman bungalow’s original design lent itself perfectly to their contemporary tastes. Craftsman homes have been described as looking more natural than nature itself. Japanese decoration was very much in vogue, and the Craftsman “lifestyle” was geared toward comfort and convenience. Luckily, our clients agreed that their home’s beautiful, original built-in cabinets and benches, window and door trim, baseboards, and double-hung windows are architectural details that must be retained and incorporated into the new design concept.
Some aspects of the renovation would obviously entail introducing new elements, such as electrical circuits and plumbing, as well as tearing down walls to make the kitchen more open and conducive to cooking and entertaining. If original details had to be removed, we suggested that those materials be reused in another part of the house, such as moving the built-in banquettes in the living room to the new breakfast nook. When baseboards or other historical trim had to be removed to relocate a wall, every effort was made to have that detail custom reproduced to match the existing trim in proportion and style.
In the first phase of the renovation, our clients asked us to focus on the kitchen, breakfast nook, master bedroom, and master bathroom.
