12.11.2020 | DIGS.NET 115
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Having the discipline to not upstage
the original architecture by constantly
questioning 'What would the original
architect do?' was the biggest challenge,"
says Chad DeWitt, the founder and
creative director at Northern California-
based Framestudio, referencing this
project located in Alamo, 20 miles east
of San Francisco. Initially built by Henry
Hill & Associates in 1959, the mid-
century modern hillside home needed a
makeover to feel up-to-date.
The owners already knew the
Framestudio team, who, five years prior,
helped them remodel their previous
home, allowing this second project to
come naturally. With their two sons now
off at college, the couple felt they needed
a change of scenery. The uniqueness of
this property, however, convinced them
to stay in Alamo, just a few miles up the
road from where they had lived for the
past 25 years.
"The clients are drawn to a very
understated aesthetic, so we looked
past the predictable 'martini-modern'
look, taking our inspiration from Swiss
designer Pierre Jeanneret and Cuban
designer Clara Porset," DeWitt says
of the inspiration. "Their brand of
modernism was less refined, simple,
and strongly driven by the materials
and craftsmanship of the community
they were built in." After updating
the mechanicals, Framestudio focused
on the "good original elements and
[discarded] the bad," seeking "to create
timeless interiors as if Henry Hill himself
had envisioned them." In addition to
keeping—among other features—the
full walls of glass and four fireplaces
throughout the remodel, the studio's
approach also guided the team to select
restrained, timeless finishes.
Passionate about modernist
architecture in the Bay Area, DeWitt
was energized by the opportunity to
once again restore and reinvent a project
designed by a notable architect, adding
his contemporary touch while respecting
the original vision. "As the Bay Area
ceramicist Edith Heath once said: 'Design
is a system of values,' he says. "We
couldn't agree more." For DeWitt and his
team, the emphasis should be on human
values with thoughtful and long-lasting
design dedicated to supporting well-
being. "That's why we believe in looking
towards the past as much as looking to
the future for inspiration, being careful
not to forget that simple, common-sense
solutions have served us well for years,"
he adds. During three years of hard
