Crane Canyon Part 1 Exposé

Written By Sam Lowe
A bath tub being filled with water from a faucet, the tile is beige and contrasted by black stone and faucetry.

This new-build home overlooking Crane Canyon is a truly massive project; split into three phases, the first phase included the demolition of the existing home as well as the construction of the new north-wing and pool. Later phases will include the new south wing, a pool house and extensive landscaping for the whole property. Construction continues with the south-wing project, but now that this first phase is complete we can share the interiors as they stand today. As a summer and weekend home for our San Francisco-based clients, the design aesthetic leans contemporary, mid-century and comfortable, but also bold and fun. Sometimes we push the design to be expressive while other times the architecture plays a supporting roll for the client’s joyful collection of artworks and decor.

A construction site showing wood framing, a vista of the Santa Rosa flats beyond.
Samples of exterior stucco treatments
A bathroom under construction, floors and cabinets are covered in protective paper.

The previous home had approximately the same footprint, however the construction quality was exceptionally poor and required starting from scratch. We capitalized on the incredible views by designing the approach to the house such that you experience the vista into Crane Canyon beyond only when you’re inside the home and looking out.

A living room with blue swivel chairs, a walnut coffee table, leather poufs, grey sofa.
A living room with blue swivel chairs, a walnut coffee table, leather poufs. A built-in TV unit with book shelves lines the wall

The temporary living room (which will become the family room in phase 2) looks out over Crane Canyon and the adjacent pool. We used walnut to anchor this space; from the engineered hardwood flooring to the coffee table and base cabinetry for the TV cabinet. It was important to us to keep the top part of the TV cabinet the same white as the walls so that the room didn’t become cavernous, while also allowing the client’s decor to pop.

A built-in TV until with book shelves, blue swivel chair in the foreground, breakfast nook with a fiddle-leaf fig plant to the side.
An abstract, black and white organic ceramic piece sits on a shelf.

Our bespoke ceramics have become a very tangible connection to the architecture & interiors we design, not just through aesthetics but through the physicality of working with the clay and producing finished pieces with our own hands. This collection of abstract objects/vases is inspired by literature, and mid-century graphics.

A kitchen with walnut cabinetry and warm countertops. Black faucetry and a stainless steel range are prominent, glass-fronted display cabinets flank the built-in range hood.

The kitchen was especially fun to design; we needed to maximize storage while keeping visual clutter to a minimum. Using a restrained palette of walnut, beige tones, matte blacks and touches of brass, the general atmosphere is calming and clean. A separate pantry room off the kitchen does a lot to keep visual clutter concealed, as do the built-in countertop hutches that are part pull-out storage, part appliance garage. Using the hutches to frame the range we decided to use a subtle 3D tile which takes the backseat to the strong cathedral grains of the walnut. We continued that tile into the backs of the the glass upper cabinets to give the impression of transparency and lightness.

Breakfast nook with white chairs and a floral arrangement on the table. The living room and kitchen are visible in the background, a chemex with coffee inside sits on the kitchen counter.

The peninsula separates the working area from the more casual/social areas while still allowing for great views and communication. The chamfered end of the peninsula gives more room to the dining area and creates an opportunity for more display cabinets while not impeding flow.

A green tiled bathroom with white oak cabinetry and taj mahal quartzite countertops. The faucetry is a brushed bronze finish which matched a 3D piece of artwork mounted above the toilet. Abstract shaped mirrors are mounted above the vanity.
A green tiled shower stall with brushed bronze shower faucetry mounted on the wall, a shower niche holds a black shampoo bottle.

This guest bathroom presented an opportunity for a wow-factor; a surprising pop for guests to discover. Champagne gold fixtures and hardware contrast against the green tile, as the abstract mirrors also contrast against the rectilinear grid behind them. We love to push central guest accessible spaces towards more expressive when it makes sense. These expressive punctuation marks where form is pushed to be dominant creates a dynamic feeling for the entire home.

A bedroom with the foot of the bed and dresser visible. A large yellow painting fills one of the walls, a small mirror is mounted to the wall above the dresser, the door to the bathroom is open.
A bedroom with yellow and blue pillows on the bed, posters for outside lands are mounted above the headboard, a green and gold floral wallpaper on one of the walls.

Off a hallway that visually and audibly separates the spaces, two bedrooms share a jack-and-jill bathroom. The aubergine paint we used for the doors throughout the house play multiple roles in creating a luxuriousness & harmony in the design. This purple skew plays well with the matte black hardware, the walnut floors and creates contrast with the warmer creams/ beiges. The more muted tones of the wall & cabinet paint lets the client’s more vibrant decor items pop without making the scene too busy.

A contemporary bathroom with white oak cabinets, a dark soapstone countertop and beige tiles run all the way to the ceiling.
A contemporary bathroom with white oak cabinets, a dark soapstone countertop and beige tiles run all the way to the ceiling. The window over the bathtub illuminates the space, towels hang from the towel rail.

The goal with this jack-and-jill bathroom was to create a spa-like atmosphere that was also accommodating for the kids; the glass partition for the shower swings over the toilet to make bathing small children more accessible and kid-height hooks, rails and mirror let them feel that the space is as much theirs as it is for the parents.

Sam Lowe https://www.sdlresidential.com
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