Mountain View Warm Modern
Mountain View, California
We were asked to transform a modest 2-bedroom, 1-bath 1950s ranch house into a 4-bedroom, 3-bath warm modern home for a growing family, including an accessible suite for an aging parent. Working within a limited budget, the design strategically leveraged the existing structure, directing the new work toward spatial quality, light, and long-term adaptability rather than unnecessary demolition and new construction.
An awkward, underused sunroom was enclosed to become conditioned living area, and a small addition beyond it allowed the kitchen to expand into a generous great room—now the social and visual heart of the home. This space is designed for true indoor outdoor living, with full glass doors opening directly to the garden, dissolving the boundary between inside and out. The result is a daily living environment filled with abundant natural light, views to greenery, and an easy flow between cooking, dining, gathering, gardening, and outdoor life.
The bedroom and bathroom addition extends along one side of the property, forming a quiet edge that embraces the garden while preserving open space. The plan is compact and highly efficient, but it is carefully tuned through sectional variation: changes in ceiling height, calibrated openings, and material contrast create layered spatial experience and a sense of generosity beyond the home’s footprint. Durable, tactile finishes and warm modern detailing give the house both clarity and comfort.
Throughout, the design emphasizes flexible spaces that can evolve with the family over time—supporting multigenerational living, changing work patterns, and future needs without reconfiguration. What began as a small, conventional ranch house now feels open, connected, and deeply livable: a home that supports everyday rituals, large gatherings, and aging in place with equal ease.
“We worked with Alexandra on a major project with several challenges – building a brand new home on a small, sloped lot that required several variances. To add to that, we were first-time owner-builders. From the very beginning of the process at the design stage, Alexandra was easy to work with and very open to both incorporating our requests and needs while providing helpful insight and guidance. Her clear, consistent, and thorough communication got us through a complicated Zoning review process. She and her team helped us adapt in creative ways to ensure that we met Zoning’s requirements while still keeping the best parts of the design. We’ve been living in the home for several months now and absolutely love it! The best part for us about working with Alexandra, which is easy to take for granted but very significant in a long project like this, was her incredible professionalism, responsiveness, and trustworthiness. We never had any problem communicating and working with her over the course of our project, despite the other challenges and many different people involved. Thank you, Alexandra, for helping make a dream come true for us!” – Client