Bay Area natives Nick and Ashley Ghirardelli bought the first property they saw when they moved from a two-bedroom condo in San Francisco to Marin. “We let our real estate agent, Barr Haney, know that we were looking for the worst house in the best neighborhood,” says Nick, a third-generation builder who owns a namesake construction firm and was undaunted by the prospect of tackling a “project.” When Haney showed the couple a small, older home nestled in the redwoods in the coveted Winship Park neighborhood of Ross, they knew it was the one.
The home turned out to be in much worse shape than the couple initially realized, however. Located at the base of a hill, it had significant drainage and structural problems. “It felt a bit like it was being held up by termites holding hands,” Nick jokes. In addition, the home wasn’t maximizing the buildable space on the lot, yet the siting limited possibilities for expansion. After a year and a half of living in the house, the couple decided to scrap their renovation plans and build a new home for their family on the property instead.
With plans and permits approved for a new California-style modern Spanish home designed by Sutro Architects, the project got underway, and the Ghirardellis began thinking about how to lend authenticity to the design. Ashley was able to procure some century-old, handmade Spanish tiles for the roof from a Tuscan villa undergoing demolition nearby, but the couple wanted help fine-tuning the interior architecture to meet their aesthetic and family’s needs. A mutual friend introduced them to San Anselmo-based interior designer Lauren Nelson, whose work Ashley had admired on social media, and it was a natural fit. “I normally like to be very involved in design decisions on my client projects, but as the homeowner here, I was able to take a new approach: Just say yes to whatever she recommended,” Nick says.
Completed last year, the Ghirardellis’ 2,850-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home features an earthy, warm color palette that honors its Spanish architectural style. “The palette really resonated with Nick and Ashley, and it’s also the palette of the surrounding landscape,” Nelson says. The corresponding materials palette features richly stained white oak flooring, custom cabinetry, natural stone countertops, plaster-finished walls and bronze and wrought-iron accents.
In the kitchen, custom cabinetry is paired with green- and plum-veined Calacatta Monet marble countertops and hand-painted terracotta tile from Tabarka Studio. Pendant lights sourced from Obsolete in Los Angeles hang above the island, which is supported by wrought-iron legs, while dainty Hector Finch wall lights illuminate the workspaces.
Adjacent to the kitchen, the living room invites lingering with a plaster-wrapped fireplace, cozy built-in bench and a softly textured rug from the Workroom Shoppe in Mill Valley. “It’s a big room, but we wanted it to feel intimate,” Nelson says. “One way we did that with interior architecture was to add beams on the ceiling that connect the two spaces and also add visual interest.” A vintage chair and abstract paintings by Los Angeles artist Ali Enache complete the space.
The ceiling beams extend into the dining room as well, the focal point of which is a built-in bar embellished with boldly hued Pandora quartzite and leaded-glass doors. Finishing the space are the Southwest-inspired Jacob May table and Paul Ferrante iron chandelier.
Nelson applied her attention to detail in the home’s bathrooms as well. The primary bathroom features custom cabinetry, a freestanding tub, vintage sconces, brass fixtures, a checkerboard limestone and marble tile floor and Tadelakt shower walls by San Rafael-based Mineral Concept. The centerpiece in the powder room, meanwhile, is a stone sink carved from a single block of rare green Calacatta marble set atop a burlwood cabinet. Additional accents include dark plaster walls, an Urban Electric porcelain and brass double sconce, a vintage mirror and handmade floor tiles.
Throughout, the home reflects the Ghirardellis’ desire for comfort, elegance and authenticity — achieved through thoughtful collaboration. “They deferred to me on the build and execution, and I had the utmost confidence in Lauren to steer the ship on the design front,” Nick says. “The end product speaks for itself. We’re so happy with what Lauren and her team pulled off.”
Details
What: Spanish-modern new home
Where: Ross
Architecture: Sutro Architects
Interior Design: Lauren Nelson Design
Construction: Ghirardelli Construction
