West Marin Modern.

West Marin Modern

West Marin Modern is a reinvention of a 1980s redwood country house whose interiors did not reflect the person living there. Dark finishes, heavy textures, and timber beams dominated the interior, limiting light and movement. The client, an entrepreneurial artist who once spent time around Andy Warhol, initiated the transformation with a decisive gesture: the purchase of a stark white Boffi kitchen showroom display.

Without altering the structural system, the redesign stripped away visual weight and rethought what already existed. Heavy timber beams were retained and recontextualized through light toned finishes and sculpted forms, allowing the structure to become a unifying element. Targeted architectural interventions introduced flow, light, and sculptural clarity, transforming the interior into a space that feels open, intentional, and deeply aligned with how the client lives today.

Highlights Of The Project

Utilizing the idea of reinventing rather than remodeling, this space was stripped of its heavily textured walls, terracotta floors, and overbearing use of rustic wood and then replaced with a clean and open space that would cast light and views throughout. The heavy timber beams were left in place and enhanced by the clean white walls and floors. Existing wood posts were cloaked in triangulating white forms, and a fireplace floats in the middle of the space, both heating and entertaining the whole floor.

Inspiration

Scott’s approach

Reframing a home to match its owner

When I first walked into this house, it was immediately clear that the interiors and the person living there were misaligned. The home was a well built 1980s redwood country house, but inside it felt dark and heavy. Terra cotta tile floors, textured plaster walls, and flamed timber beams and posts dominated every room.

Light struggled to move through the space, and the interiors turned inward rather than opening out.

The client is an entrepreneurial artist who, earlier in her life, spent time around Andy Warhol. The existing interiors were everything she was not.

An impulse purchase that set the direction

There was no formal brief at the beginning. Instead, the project started with a single decision. On a trip to Los Angeles, the client purchased a stark white, minimalist Boffi kitchen showroom display and had it shipped directly to the house.

Her question to me was simple: “I love this. Can we work with it?”

That kitchen became both a constraint and a compass. It inspired the level of restraint, clarity, and modernity the rest of the house needed to reach.

Reinventing the interior without changing the structure

The brief was ambitious and tightly constrained. Reinvent the entire feel of the main living level without modifying the structural system.

The goal was to open the house from front to back, allow light to move freely through the living spaces, and create a bright, modern interior that could hold the attention of a visually sophisticated client.

Creative solution

Scott’s approach

Turning a liability into the unifying element

The heavy timber ceiling was the greatest challenge. The beams were surrounded by dark textures and heavy finishes, making the space dark and oppressive. The budget required the beams to stay, so we reworked the surrounding finishes to change how the structure was perceived.

We replaced heavy textures and color with light-toned, smooth finishes and simplified detailing. The same wood suddenly felt lighter and richer, and became a rich texture that unified the entire space.

Several targeted interventions reshaped how the house is lived in

Between the posts, we removed infill walls and introduced sculpted drywall forms that disguise the structure and create a sense of movement.

A solid tiled fireplace was removed and replaced with a floating steel fireplace visible across the entire floor. It anchors the space without blocking light or views.

The Boffi kitchen cabinets were carefully placed to feel freestanding rather than built in. An added countertop over the island became both functional and sculptural, tying the kitchen visually to the rest of the interior architecture.

Reframing results

Scott’s approach

Design and Craft Under One Roof

Studio Couture served as both architect and builder for this remodel. That dual role allowed ideas to move directly from sketch to steel, glass, framing, and drywall craft to create a truly unique sculptural living experience matching the artist’s eye and mind of our client.

The interior space was radically transformed without removing any of the supporting structure or the cost that came with it. The interiors are now open, filled with light, yet still maintain a rich texture. For me, West Marin Modern is a reminder that some of the most radical transformations come from reframing what already exists rather than replacing it.

Testimonial

Client’s perspective

“Scott pushed creativity far beyond what I had originally imagined. He is one step above a modern architect. The lines are sleek and move smoothly from one room to the next. He was a pleasure to work with. Honest with his assessments and knows how to work within a budget.”

r&N