Self-Expression Showcase

Aluminum fiberglass panels accent the red stucco exterior. The ground floor is a covered porch with steel columns that support the deck above.

Their palette was a 2½-story, 2,700-square-foot home situated on a beautiful hillside in an older neighborhood. The dilapidated home had been foreclosed and vacant for almost six months, and the gradually moving hillside had cracked the foundation.

Before

For the exterior, Killory and Davids wanted a color that would resonate with the redwood trees on the lot. They decided on a red oxide that was mixed directly into the stucco. Second- and third-floor aluminum decks and new horizontal windows take advantage of a direct view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

"The project took about a year and a half, and with the owners living on site, the job changed a lot over that time," says Keith Alward. "But we were able to step up to the plate and serve our customer as real partners."

For example, an inspector determined that the fireplace floor did not have the proper fire rating and that the slate the owners wanted must be removed. "Instead of just replacing the slate with a different material, we went underneath the fireplace and added the necessary fire-rated materials, and it passed," says Alward. "This demonstrated to the owners our loyalty to their design."

"I enjoyed participating with architect-owners, and I think that's why we earn so many referrals from architects all over the Bay area," says Alward.