Architect Matthew Baran was called in by Heather Raney of REO Homes to flip a Spanish-style home in North Oakland into something much more contemporary that spoke into the diverse warehouse edginess of the surrounding neighborhood. Built on spec and working on a strict budget against a three-month deadline, he had to remove an illegal addition unit, then update the space with industrial windows, a modern paint job and a spacious backyard with a terraced patio.
in a Glance:
Location: North Oakland, California
Size: 1,200 square feet; two bedrooms, 1 complete bath and 2 half bathrooms
Before Photo
Baran Studio Architecture
BEFORE: Baran felt that the prior home was a “hacked together Spanish style,” with an illegal inclusion that turned the garage into a one-bedroom unit with another door to the street and backyard.
Baran needed to work quickly to bring the building up to code by removing the illegal unit and returning it to a garage space.
Baran Studio Architecture
AFTER: The architect wanted to make something that had a connection to the urban environment surrounding it. He removed the sloped arch parapet, sloped roof bits, overhang and built up the shell of the building into something more clean, stark and contemporary, with big square aluminum windows that resemble the industrial design of the warehouses at the neighborhood.
While he removed the deep line archway on the left side to be flush with the facade, the one about the right remains, something Baran regretted at the beginning but has come to love over time. “It leaves a hint of a previous life of the home,” he says.
To soften the crude components, Baran added painted redwood railing and landscaping by Miguel Nunez in M.A.N. Landscape to get a natural feel. Heather Raney for REO Homes oversaw the renovation.
Exterior paint: Benjamin Moore HC-103 Cromwell Gray
Before Photo
Baran Studio Architecture
BEFORE: Structurally, the interiors were in good shape, if a bit dated. Raney collaborated with Scott Silvera of Scout Design to update the interior while still maintaining the majority of the home’s classic architectural components. They stained the first oak floors and added a much more industrial-recalling window designed by Baran that faces the road.
Baran Studio Architecture
AFTER: For the most part, the group maintained the remaining interior components intact. The wood trim and tiled fireplace were all painted and the floors stained dark to get a more modern feel that amuses the previously dark vibe. (Silvera supplied and styled the home.)
Flooring blot: Minwax Jacobean
Before Photo
Baran Studio Architecture
BEFORE: Raney had originally wanted to remove the built-in cabinetry, but upon hearing that it was gum and much desired by homeowners and Silvera chose to restore it instead.
Baran Studio Architecture
AFTER: A fresh coat of paint and new hardware lightened and upgraded the first built-ins. The home is a split level — that the garage is on the ground floor; the kitchen, living and dining rooms are on the middle level; and the two bedrooms are located on the floor.
Light: Noir pendant from CB-2
Before Photo
Baran Studio Architecture
BEFORE: The kitchen was narrow and full of dated tile and cabinets, all that Baran torn out.
Baran Studio Architecture
AFTER: Baran enlarged the distance by pushing all the kitchen elements to a single wall, creating enough extra room to add a half bath and pub on the opposite side.
Kitchen cabinets: Ikea; light fixture: world pendant from West Elm
Baran Studio Architecture
The pub area acts as a breakfast nook that opens into a backyard patio and outdoor dining space.
Baran Studio Architecture
Before Photo
Baran Studio Architecture
BEFORE: Another square aluminum window designed by Baran was added into the street-facing guest bedroom. The floors were stained dark. One of the first windows remains on the left side.
Baran Studio Architecture
AFTER: The main bedroom opens to a private patio that leads to the backyard and outside dining space.
Before Photo
Baran Studio Architecture
BEFORE: The prior structure’s exterior was somewhat gloomy, together with paved-over landscaping and an illegal inclusion (on the left) that caused a separate living space. The main home was virtually closed off from the spacious outdoor location.
Baran Studio Architecture
AFTER: Baran’s plans removed the illegal inclusion and added French doors away from the kitchen plus a main bedroom to link the home to the outside. “I saw an opportunity to open the back of the home,” he says. Instead of having just one monotonous lawn space, Raney chose to separate the backyard into different zones that could correlate to rooms at a home. The planter boxes with vegetables represent the kitchen.
Baran Studio Architecture
The open grass space acts as a living room.
Baran Studio Architecture
A redwood trellis-covered dining area acts as a formal dining room separate from your casual dining room on the patio.