After 30 years of hard work, our clients, a successful Silicon Valley biotech entrepreneur and biotech attorney, rewarded themselves with a new home they could truly make their own. They moved to Portola Valley, California, and partnered with us to renovate and remodel much of the house.

Our guiding theme was “casual luxury.” The result is a home that feels uniquely theirs, layered with quality materials and thoughtful details.

There were many outdated details and awkward moments that needed renovating (fireplace stone/tile, all bathroom finishes for three bathrooms, all lighting throughout the house, and some decorative exterior details), and the primary bathroom suite was completely reimagined. We also furnished the home.

The dining room is the home’s pièce de résistance. We wrapped the walls in Adorn by Philip Jeffries, a Japanese wood-veneer wallcovering finished with hand-applied gold leaf using an ancient technique. Its organic, hand-drawn gold motif sweeps across the walls and continues onto the existing soffit, drawing the eye up to the contrasting ceiling wallpaper. The result is an intimate, immersive dining room that beautifully contrasts with the kitchen’s bright, open feel.

Every room connects closely with the landscape, but the kitchen dining area is especially striking. A custom Christopher Boots chandelier seems to grow from the tree just beyond the window, blurring the line between indoors and out.

Together, we created a home that feels distinctly personal, where thoughtful materials, inviting spaces, and the surrounding landscape come together in effortless harmony.