St. Francis Wood Renovation

This timeless masterpiece is a detached St. Francis Wood residence linking open, dramatic spaces to surrounding parks and panoramas.

The home is conveniently located adjacent both the association Terrace Green Park, inclusive of recreational activities, and St. Francis Park with its historic fountain and panoramic western views.

The top level includes oak hardwood flooring throughout, cherry wood paneling and cabinetry line the entry hallway. The gourmet kitchen, with chef’s table area, entertainment alcove and appliance garage, cook island and side bar features an abundance of overhead natural light and has a south facing side patio and herb garden, for BBQ’s, plein air lunches and sunning. The formal dining room has bay window views and built-in cabinetry next to an open plan great room boasting vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, audio/video center, powder room, intimate seating alcove, corner wet bar and dramatic floor to ceiling glass doors to access a wide deck and views of the ocean and surrounding hills.

Midlevel amenities include three bedrooms and two baths that radiate around a large family room with hardwood floors, fireplace, built-in butler’s kitchen bar and tall windows looking out to the stunning views. A custom media wall and central systems utility closet are also found here. Radiant heat throughout.

A spacious lower level primary suite and spa bath include a sauna, a generous walk-in closet and dressing room as well as the laundry room + housekeeping office and kitchenette. Bedroom amenities include soaring ceilings, media cabinetry, fireplace and glass sliding wall that opens to a protected sunny walk-out patio surrounded by hillside landscaping and lighting. This level benefits from its proximity to the Terrace Drive garage and storage.

This newly engineered structure descends from its Santa Paula Avenue entry frontage, with attached double garage, to Terrace Drive below and the detached free standing double garage which sports a green living roof. Both garages have workspaces and extra storage.

Annual Association Dues: $2,776

Major Renovations

1990-1991

Top Floor

Architect: Toby Levy

Contractor: Joe Palumbo

Scope of Work:

• Top floor demolition and reframing (Sant Paula frontage) except attached two-car garage
• Replacement of roof and gutters with the addition of skylights and clerestory windows
• New windows, except in garage
• New tongue & groove hardwood flooring
• Construction of dramatic and timeless floorplan designed by Toby Levy
• Kitchen features include:
  • High-volume ceiling and skylight
  • Easterly view
  • Subzero Refrigerator, Gaggenau Oven at end of Cooktop Island, Thermador Six-burner Gas Cooktop with Grill, Custom Stainless Range Hood, Thermador Convection Oven/Microwave, Broan trash compactor, Two Franke sinks each with Insinkerator Garbage Disposals, Appliance Garage, Black Granite Countertops, and Cherrywood Cabinets
• Dancefloor
• Bar
• Intimate Seating nook
• Dining Room with new Bay window and cherrywood cabinetry
• Living Room with and cherrywood cabinetry, high-volume ceiling, clerestory windows and skylight
• Architecturally significant wood-burning fireplace
• Powder room
• Floorplan anchored by cherrywood cabinetry/wall running from entry to living room, flanked by curved wall running from exterior planting sculpture to bar/dancefloor area
• Extensive cherrywood cabinetry with black granite countertops
• Oak tongue and groove plank hardwood floor throughout top floor space
• West and north-westerly view of ocean and St. Francis Wood trees enhanced by window wall featuring 10-foot-high French doors and corner-less windows
• Views of both St. Francis Wood parks, including tennis courts, all within easy walking distance
• New Exterior Deck (including lower, middle floor) accessed through French doors from dancefloor/bar area, overlooking north-westerly view
• Exterior Patio off kitchen, creating outdoor room

2002-2004

Upper Floor Refresh and Lower Floors Renovation

Architect: Karin Payson

Contractor: Preferred Construction

Scope of Work:

• Maintenance, refinishing and repairs to upper floor
• Demolition, excavation, re-framing and construction of two lower floors with new patio and stair to new detached lower garage (with new storage under stair) resulting in the addition of approximately 1,000 square feet of gross floor area (including new garage)
• Seismic upgrades
• Addition of new 2-car garage at bottom of lot featuring concrete construction and green roof by Rana Landscaping (contractor for Academy of Sciences green roof)
• General Features:
  • Radiant heating (including the upper floor)
  • Smart-home lighting and media system with ceiling and wall-mounted speakers
  • Security cameras
  • Extensive Cat-5 wiring
  • Mahogany wood windows
  • Stone windowsills
  • Extensive storage and built-in drawers and cabinets

• Middle Floor Features:
  • Intimate family room with west and north-westerly view, gas-fired fireplace with mahogany mantel and custom base and drawer system and wine bar
  • Wine bar includes counter-level seating area, exotic wood cabinetry, U-line wine cooler, Fisher & Paykel dishwasher, Uline refrigerator, Kitchen Aid icemaker, built-in Miele espresso machine, Dacor microwave/convection oven, Dacor warming drawers, stainless steel counter and sink with InSinkerator garbage disposal
  • Media/bedroom with adjacent full bathroom (walk-in shower) with pocket doors
  • Privacy sliding pocket door between family room and two additional bedrooms adjacent to shared full bathroom with Jacuzzi-style tub
  • Flat screen televisions in both bedrooms
  • Additional storage with built-in cabinetry adjacent to mechanical room
  • GARY safe

• Lower Floor (Primary Suite) Features:
  • Addition of square footage (~643 sf per architect) over original building size
  • Excavation to add large walk-in closet and laundry room
  • Two pocket doors close off master bedroom for privacy and temperature control
  • High-volume ceilings throughout master bedroom suite
  • Bedroom features a gas-fired fireplace with mahogany mantel and custom base and drawer system, floor-to-ceiling exotic wood cabinetry, color-embedded concrete flooring and direct access to patio through floor-to-ceiling sliding window
  • Built-in bedside tables to accommodate king-sized bed
  • Floor-to-ceiling wood bed wall
  • Bathroom includes double-sink stone vanity, large hydrotherapy tub, glass-enclosed steam shower with multi-head shower heads, separate toilet room with pocket door and sauna
  • Flat screen televisions in bedroom and bathroom
  • Large walk-in closet with extensive cabinetry
  • Laundry room/workspace with SubZero refrigerator, Miele dishwasher, Miele laundry equipment microwave oven, bar sink with garbage disposal and laundry sink and with extensive, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and built-in desk
  • Stair access to lower storage area, lower two-car garage and St. Francis Wood private tennis courts and park
  • Added storage below master bedroom suite
• New two-car garage with cabinetry, work sink and toilet
  • Garage features a living green roof
  • Garage is accessed via Terrace Avenue