Designer Profile: Former neighbors team up on unique Larkspur farmhouse
Former neighbors collaborate on five-bedroom
Years of respect and mutual admiration turned former neighbors into collaborators. Architect Barbara Chambers and designer Jennifer Tidwell — Mill Valley residents who at one point lived across the street from one another — paired up for the first time to craft an open, airy and inviting contemporary farmhouse in Larkspur.
“We always admired Barbara’s work,” said Jennifer Tidwell, referring to her husband and co-founder of Postcard Properties, Gannon Tidwell. “So we were definitely excited to work with her.”
The Tidwell’s investment at 31 Orange Ave. transformed the Larkspur property from a ramshackle eyesore into a stunning five-bedroom divided into single-story and two-level wings.
A Bluestone patio anchors a picturesque backyard with a built-in grill, fire pit and garden. Inside, each wing takes on an individual identity with enough shared finishes to keep them related.
“I wanted it to look like a portion was built at a particular time and the second was done later,” Chambers said.
That principle resulted in a great room wing clad in board-and-batten siding and topped with a steel roof. Concrete spans the open floor plan and fashions the fireplace’s surround. Collapsible La Cantina walls see the outdoors become an
extension of the great room.
Waterworks fixtures accessorize a stylish kitchen highlighted by a La Cornu Cornfue brass and stainless steel range. Clé cement tiles fashion a striking backsplash as a farmhouse sink rests within a marble island with cascading waterfall edges.
White oak panels the kitchen’s exhaust hood — the same type of timber fashions the great room’s vaulted, beamed ceiling and flooring for the bedroom wing.
A year of planning and permitting went into the home before work ever started. Both Chambers and the Tidwells wanted to respect the neighbors, so painstaking efforts were taken not to impede views.
“Building a home is a little bit like being a
“Building a home is a little bit like being a person who arrives to a party that’s already going. You need to find out where you fit in.” Architect Barbara Chambers
person who arrives to a party that’s already going,” Chambers said. “You need to find out where you fit in.”
A bifurcated design is the result. The separate structures are connected by a Euroline entryway with glass walls on opposite sides. The thoughtful inclusion frames a glimpse of the landscaped backyard and Mount Tamalpais.
“I wanted people walking up to get a hint of what awaits, but we didn’t want to give it all away at once,” Chambers said. A blend of contemporary and traditional designs populate both segments.
Ceiling mounted speakers await in both the master suite and single-story great room, representing one of the common features found in both wings. CAT 6 wiring provides rooms the latest technological infrastructure, as the floating reveal baseboards establish a minimalist elegance in the sleeping quarters.