Fit Like a Glove

Author:Lindsey Shook

TRG Architecture + Interior Design realizes a customize home for a young family of five

“We start out with a lot of digging on both the architecture and interiors sides—wish lists, questionnaires, comprehensive photos of the existing site, client meetings to review aesthetic preferences,” says Leslie Lamarre, co-founder of TRG Architecture + Interior Design, on how she, her husband and their team begin each project. “We really want to get to know the client before ever putting pen to paper.” The process of getting to know residential clients can often prove tricky, but Lamarre and the team quickly uncovered what spoke to the clients’ souls. “One day, the client hit the nail on the head in describing her favorite colors, ‘In general, the colors of the San Francisco Bay on a foggy day,’ she recalls. “That was it—not just a color preference, but a mood. And that, combined with the client’s interest in having a fun, family-centric home, became the essence of what we were going for.”

Originally, an older house sat on the property that is nestled in one of the Bay Area’s most exclusive towns, but it needed a major overhaul. “Initially the clients were interested in remodeling, but the house was set back too far on the lot and the second floor had pretty low ceilings,” Lamarre notes. “They decided that to get what they wanted out of it, it made better sense to build from scratch.” The plan was to erect a 5,500-square-foot, shingle-style home that could cater to the family’s three young children and their busy life. “They wanted a modern house but were hoping also to see some of the character you might find in a more traditional setting (vaulted ceilings, for instance),” she says. “They also wanted communal spaces designed for indoor/outdoor living and large windows with built-in shades where possible.”

In addition to needing the space required to raise three children the clients desired ample areas for entertaining. Lamarre notes, “The overarching family-centric goal dovetailed well with the client’s interest in entertaining groups of 15 or more, translating into large common spaces and relatively small but efficient bedrooms.”

Due to the residual work-from-home routine that emerged from the pandemic, the clients also required areas for finding quite, peaceful moments throughout the property. Principal architects Randy Grange and Yossi Zinger carved out intimate spaces to accommodate the requests. “The home office had to have its own outdoor area for taking phone calls, so we created a sweet little outdoor terrace right outside the sliding glass doors,” she says. “With three young children keeping them busy, the couple wanted to make sure they were able to make the most of their rare down-time alone. We took advantage of the flat-roofed great room ceiling and created a spacious private deck off the master suite, complete with a fireplace and heated seating.”

Of course, no modern family home is complete without a theater/rec room where the kids could hide or late night fun could ensue. “Our client wanted the ability to separate the home theater from the rest of the basement space, where we have a recreation area, bar and wine room,” says Lamarre. “We designed a motorized drapery with acoustical fabric that tucks into a slot in the wall between the movie area and the rest of the space.”

While overall the new home is beyond impressive, the two standout features are the three-level staircase with built-in niches showcasing custom panels painted by our local muralist, Morgan Bricca of Morgan Murals and the innovative details found throughout the theater room. “The mural panels in the stairwell are inspired by dawn and dusk on the San Francisco Bay; they connect all three levels of the house; and they manifest the essence of peace, tranquility and wonder you feel when you experience it for real in nature,” Lamarre remarks. She also enlisted Bricca to paint acoustic panels in the theater to match the adjacent Phillip Jeffries wallpaper so the one 46-foot-long wall in the basement recreation room could run undisrupted.

From the custom details to the elegant materials and spatial planning, the TRG team delivered a truly custom house that suits the family’s zest for life. Lamarre notes of the final reveal, “The client was over-the-moon happy with their finished home! They are thrilled with all the special features designed just for them and the way they want to live.”