Portola Valley Retreat: A Blend of Elegance and Functionality

Brooke N., UDCP, Senior Designer

The Portola Valley Retreat renovation showcases how thoughtful design can transform a dated space into an elegant and functional haven. With an emphasis on creating open layouts, serene environments, and a focus on detail, this remodel turned a previously compartmentalized home into a warm and welcoming retreat.

Project Goals and Approach

This renovation isn’t just about making things look better; it enhances the homeowners’ everyday experience. By improving natural light, reimagining room layouts, and balancing style with functionality, the remodel unifies the space while elevating both comfort and aesthetics.

The new design focuses on maximizing ceiling heights, introduces warm wood flooring, and adds ambient lighting to create an inviting atmosphere throughout. This holistic approach ensures every space feels connected and carefully crafted.

 

Meeting the Homeowners’ Needs

The Portola Valley Retreat owners wanted their home to be a serene, organized space that supports their lifestyle. By transforming key areas, the project found a balance between form and function that brings both beauty and comfort into every room.

– Transforming the Bathrooms into Tranquil Spaces: Each bathroom remodel was centered on combining luxury with practical design. The homeowners envisioned bathrooms that were not just functional but are also meant to be places to unwind. With high-quality materials, illuminated shower niches, and streamlined cabinetry, each bathroom becomes a retreat from daily life. Clean lines and neutral palettes further emphasize the sense of calm and simplicity.

– Embracing Light and Views: One of the home’s greatest assets is its scenic forest surroundings, whose views were underutilized in the original layout. By introducing larger windows and improving sightlines, the remodel brightes the entire home and brings the outdoors in. Each room now feels more open, airy, and connected to nature.

– Better Flow and Improved Accessibility: Before the remodel, the home’s layout felt fragmented, limiting movement between spaces. By refining the transitions and focusing on open pathways, the design creates a smoother flow between rooms, the entire house feels more accessible and harmonious.

– Thoughtful Lighting Solutions: Lighting played a crucial role in enhancing both the feel and functionality of each space. From recessed strip lighting to under-cabinet lights and custom sconces, every room now has warm, welcoming illumination that contributes to a cozy, sophisticated vibe.

Reimagined Bathrooms: Luxury Meets Simplicity

Bathrooms were a focal point of the remodel, all four transformed to feel spacious, relaxing, and beautifully organized:

– Primary Bathroom: The primary bathroom was completely redesigned into a luxurious yet welcoming retreat. Warm white oak cabinetry, cedar closet flooring, and floor-to-ceiling tiles create a sense of depth and openness. The serene color palette, minimalist design, and smart use of space make this bathroom a place to unwind in elegance.

– Guest Bathroom: Previously cramped and outdated, the guest bathroom was transformed into a bright, airy space. Design choices focus on comfort and simplicity, with larger tiles for easier cleaning, strategically placed lighting, and a deep soaking tub that invites relaxation. Now, the bathroom offers a refined and serene experience for guests.

– Upstairs Powder Bathroom: The addition of a powder bathroom upstairs was a significant improvement for the homeowners. What was once an oversized closet is now a stylish, functional space featuring a custom vanity with a waterfall edge and honed Taj Mahal countertop. A centered vessel sink adds an artistic touch, while white oak fixtures bring warmth and texture to this elegant room.

– Downstairs Powder Bathroom: The downstairs powder bathroom, despite keeping its original location, was completely refreshed to enhance the experience for guests. The removal of an underused tub allows for additional storage, and a walnut vanity paired with soft lighting gives the space a refined, upscale feel.

Living Area and Fireplace: A Space to Gather and Relax

The sunken living area was redesigned for better flow, allowing for optimal furniture placement, and has become a central gathering space for the homeowners. The once-dated fireplace was given a fresh look with a plaster finish, transforming it into a focal point of the room. Custom niches were built to display artifacts, and wood flooring paired with cozy lighting brings warmth, tying together the space seamlessly.

 

Ceiling and Structural Improvements

An impactful change to the home is the removal of double framing on the first floor, which adds an additional eight inches to the floor-to-ceiling height. This makes the rooms feel more open and spacious, and enhances the overall sense of airiness and comfort throughout the house.

Attention to Materials and Details

Every material and finish was carefully selected to enhance luxury, comfort, and functionality. From the hand-selected alder wood flooring to the trim-less, solid white oak doors, the minimalist design focuses on quality. Built-in niches throughout the home allow the display of personal artifacts and art, while strategic storage solutions ensure an organized, clutter-free environment. Cedar closet floors address practical needs while adding a natural, warm touch.

A Space for Everyday Comfort and Style

The Portola Valley Retreat remodel wasn’t just about style—it makes the home more comfortable and livable. The updates enhance daily life, whether through better flow between spaces, softly lit vanity areas for morning routines, or thoughtfully placed cabinetry that keeps essentials within easy reach. The result is a home that feels both serene and tailored to the homeowners’ lifestyle.

 

Final Thoughts

The transformation of this Portola Valley home beautifully blends elegance with functionality. By enhancing key areas, introducing thoughtful lighting, and reconfiguring layouts for better flow, the remodel creates a warm, inviting home that’s sophisticated yet easy to live in. Every room reflects the homeowners’ needs—a place to relax, entertain, and truly enjoy.

2024 Interior and Outdoor Design Trends for Your California Home

Initiating a home renovation journey, whether it’s a minor kitchen update or a major overhaul, can be both thrilling and daunting. Fret not! Let Harrell Design + Build’s award-winning designers guide you with expert advice on trending materials, products, finishes, and structural changes for your indoor and outdoor living spaces. Read on for our five trends in indoor and outdoor design, and how you may implement these into your next home project.

Embracing the Color Indigo: Elevate Your Space with Timeless Sophistication

Infuse your home with the timeless allure of indigo, reflecting the mesmerizing hues of the Pacific Ocean and the vibrant blooms of California landscapes. Indigo’s deep, rich tone exudes sophistication and tranquility, elevating any space effortlessly. Versatile enough to complement various design styles, from modern to rustic, indigo fosters a sense of calm ideal for creating serene living environments. Explore indigo tiles, such as those imported from Portugal like Senior Designer Brooke has incorporated in a client’s primary bath, or featured in our valued vendor Emser Tile’s Passion Series, for deep richness in your home.

Rendering by Harrell Design + Build

Photo from Emser Tile

Coastal Textures: Reminiscent of the California Landscape

Transport yourself to tranquil shores with coastal-inspired textures that evoke laid-back refinement. Neutral hues, natural wood, and tactile textures imbue your space with warmth and inviting charm. Consider textured, wavy tiles for a Mediterranean-inspired bathroom like Designer Margarita used in this guest bathroom, or opt for luxury vinyl SPC flooring, like Medallion’s Aquarius Rising Beechwood, for the look of natural wood without the upkeep (installed in our new showroom!).

Palette by Harrell Design + Build

Photos by Agnieszka Jakubowicz for Harrell Design + Build

Curves: Add Grace and Charm to Your Home Design

Embrace the timeless elegance of curves, reminiscent of Spanish architecture found in many California homes. From curved mirrors to archways, these soft and fluid shapes add visual interest and charm to any space. Incorporating curves, whether through subtle details like installing a new curved bathroom mirror, or grand gestures like creating a new archway, lends a touch of soft elegance to your home’s design. Check out Designer Barb’s Spanish revival remodel where we mimicked an original archway from this 1930s home by furring out the wall replicating the depth and curve. This archway is echoed by a new arched kitchen window, and arched recesses in the living room.

Photos by Jean Bai for Harrell Design + Build

Retro Colors: A Blast from the Past with a Modern Twist

Embrace the resurgence of retro colors, drawing inspiration from the vibrant and earthy tones rooted in the early 1900s, and popular in the 1970s. Explore secondary hues like tangerine orange, teal blue, and peach pink to infuse your space with nostalgic charm. Our valued partner Olivia from Kohler excitedly showed us their Heritage Color Series in the Kohler Signature Showroom recently. The collection offers a range of retro-inspired options for bathroom and kitchen products, perfect for restoring the vintage interior of many California homes, or for creating an eclectic vibe in modern homes. Isn’t this free-standing bathtub in the limited edition “Peachblow” to die for?

Photo from Kohler

Blurring Boundaries: Seamlessly Connect Indoor and Outdoor Living

Maximize your enjoyment of California’s beautiful weather by seamlessly integrating indoor and outdoor living spaces. Outdoor Living Designer Lisa encourages California homeowners to extend their living spaces to embrace natural light, fresh air, and greenery with thoughtful design elements like luxury pergolas equipped with sensored louvers from our valued partner Struxure. These innovative features allow you to control the sunlight and rain entering your space effortlessly, ensuring year-round comfort and enjoyment of your outdoor living area.

Photos by Treve Johnson for Harrell Design + Build

Curious to learn more about the products and materials shared? Join Harrell Design + Build’s “Passport to Design Event.” Explore a world of design possibilities all in ONE PLACE – from tile patterns to luxury toilets, and the best in smart home tech to outdoor decking. Learn from our most valued vendors about the latest and greatest materials for your indoor and outdoor living spaces. Featuring pop-ups from Carmel Stone Imports, Haven and Wire, Kohler, Peninsula Building Materials, Toto, Emser Tile, Outdoor Elements, and many more! Stop by Harrell Design + Build on Thursday, March 28th anytime between 4 and 7 pm. Learn more and register here.

 

Harrell Design + Build’s Round Up of Favorite Projects from 2023

Recapping a year packed with exciting projects, Harrell Design + Build in Mountain View, CA, has been busy with astounding home transformations and remodels. From kitchen renovations to bathroom updates, and outdoor living upgrades to overall home makeovers, our team of designers, project managers, and carpenters have been hard at work. We’ve been all around, from San Jose to San Carlos, making our clients’ dreams come to life. As we look back on 2023, let’s take a closer look at the stories behind some of our most notable remodeling projects.

The One with a Luxury, Spa-like Wet Room

The year started off with an award-winning stunner. This bathroom remodel began with a leaky shower and bathtub that fell short of providing the homeowner the tranquil and sophisticated experience they desired. Our clients envisioned an indoor-outdoor sanctuary, akin to a spa, with easy access to the hot tub on the adjacent patio. They also desired more vanity and storage space and a larger tub. Despite the expansive space, accommodating their extensive wish list posed a challenge. Our solution? Crafting a wet room to indulge in a spacious and luxurious shower and tub experience. The redesign, which included relocating the toilet and changing their wood-burning fireplace to a gas appliance eliminating a fireplace box on the bathroom wall, allowed for a larger tub, direct patio access, a spacious vanity and linen closet, and an enhanced dressing experience in their enlarged closet.

Palo Alto Wet Room

Professional Photos by Jean Bai

The One with Green Cabinets and Gold Glam

To mirror the vibrant personality of this homeowner, revamping this plain kitchen was imperative. For a professional mom on the cusp of the “free-bird” stage, our goal was to craft a unique and “happy kitchen” tailored to her needs, incorporating additional storage space and downsized appliances for the perfect fusion of functionality and joy. The signature description of this remodeled kitchen is “Vegas Glam!”

Kitchen with Green Cabinets

The One with Discreet, but Practical Bathroom Storage

Choosing to remodel both their master bath, and the guest bathroom (previously occupied by their daughters) these homeowners had a touch of modern design in mind. Enter the floating vanities—a perfect fit for their wish list. Yet, practicality wasn’t sacrificed; optimal storage was a must. We seamlessly integrated a discreet storage solution that cleverly doubles as a floor-to-ceiling mirror! Flip it around, and voila—shelving throughout the entire unit. Say goodbye to storing makeup brushes and hairspray on the sink!

The One with the Modernized and Stylish Kosher Kitchen

Having partnered with Harrell Design + Build almost two decades ago for their whole house remodel, this dynamic couple returned with enthusiasm to refresh their space! This comprehensive home remodel embraces updates, upgrades, and meticulous attention to storage and art displays. Among the highlights that truly captivate our clients is the new kitchen. Featuring a stunning marble slab deemed a piece of “art” by the homeowners, and innovative storage and appliance solutions catering to Shabbat, this kitchen stands out as a genuine work of art in their updated abode.

The One with a Traditionally Reminiscent Japanese Soaking Tub

Coming from a traditional Japanese background, these clients sought to infuse the luxury of a traditional Japanese soaking tub into their new space. Despite the constraints of a tiny area, we skillfully arranged a beautiful soaking tub on one side of the open shower. Enclosed by a curtain, and a curb constructed by our carpenters, this functional shower-bath combo is complemented by a backdrop of stunning teal tiles. The feedback from our clients? It’s precisely what they were hoping for!

Professional Photo by Megan Bayley

The One with A Gorgeous Outdoor Living Update to this Mid-Century Modern Home

This Eichler-style condo was ripe for a landscape redo in the both the front and back yards. Using large format porcelain pavers, a neutral blue-gray color was selected – with a twist: a single terrazzo-style paver at the front door acts as a quasi-welcome mat. Two Japanese maples and low, evergreen and semi-evergreen shrubs, enhance the mostly shady space. Water-washed stepping stones connect the two patio areas, completing easy indoor-outdoor access.

In the backyard, the patio was designed to be large enough for relaxing and entertaining comfortably. Here, a few select terrazzo-style pavers interrupt the blue-gray patio for visual interest. When the homeowner requested a fruitless olive tree as the focal point for the backyard of her Eichler-style condo, it seemed natural to surround the drought-tolerant specimen with a variety of low-maintenance succulents. Easy care shrubs line the perimeter fence, including cheerful red-blooming kangaroo paw. Strings of Bistro lights extend the use of the space into the evening, and illuminate the “outdoor room” at night, even when viewed from the interior.

The One with Pops of Color for a Children’s Bathroom Done Right

Dealing with bathrooms plagued by mold and rot, our client’s home desperately needed repair. What seemed like a nightmare, transformed into a children’s fantasy under our expertise. Their vision included brighter colors for their children’s bathroom, along with a functional shower, tub, sink, and toilet. Each teal tile was meticulously laid, resulting in the final product; a unique and specific tile pattern. To enhance the aesthetic, we paired them with a stunning teak vanity and playful swirl-y pendant lights!

Professional Photos by Megan Bayley

The One with Textures Reminiscent of Nature

Embracing their love for nature, this couple with an affinity for the outdoors envisioned a more expansive and private bath within their Primary Suite. The culmination is an immersive and tactile experience, blending luxury bath amenities with organic materials, all accented by a subtle touch of natural sparkle—what we affectionately term “Big Sur Glam.” This transformation offers a retreat within their home that seamlessly harmonizes with their nature-inspired aesthetic, creating a space where relaxation and opulence coalesce. Adding rustic glam to this bathroom took more than just picking the right harmony of materials; to achieve the expansion in this bathroom that the homeowners were looking for, we created an addition to the primary bedroom. The existing bath became a walk-in closet for ample storage giving our clients the luxury amenities they desired!

Professional Photo by Jean Bai

Last but Not Least, The Place Harrell Design + Build Calls Its Forever Home

A year-long endeavor involving our entire team of dedicated employee-owners, our pride and joy is our own “home” project. At the beginning of 2022, we acquired a building in Mountain View and have since invested the last year in its extensive remodeling. The thrill of completion and the grand reveal finally happened this year! Packed with purposeful and deliberate design elements tailored to our clients, our home truly mirrors our identity as a woman-founded, employee-owned design + build company with over 38 years of experience.

Photos by Agnieszka Jakubowicz

Connect with one of our award-winning designers or attend one of our workshops to learn more about the Harrell Design + Build Design + Build experience.

Woman Founded and 100% Employee-Owned, Harrell Design + Build has created distinctive homes in Silicon Valley and on the mid-Peninsula since 1985. Our Design + Build Team is here to help you reimagine (and maintain) your home inside and out.

Designing Beverage Stations

Incorporating wet bars and cocktail mixing areas have been fairly commonplace for some time but the latest hot commodity are custom beverage stations. These designer drink destinations tend to focus around coffee, soda, and water, all of which can be enjoyed by the homeowners as well as provide a dedicated refreshment area when entertaining.

Coffee Aficionados

For many people, coffee signals the start of each day. And being able to prepare your favorite brew right in your own home is a luxury many homeowners desire. There are a myriad of coffee and espresso makers to fit every type of aficionado not to mention grinders, French presses, pour over carafes, and all the various accoutrements that accompany the creation of a truly memorable cup of coffee.

When designing a custom coffee space, some things to take into consideration include:

  • How much space will be allotted? For some, it will be a niche or built into a cabinet, and for others, it could be an entire dedicated counter area.
  • Will your brewing appliance be a focal point or do you prefer to hide it away?
  • What type of appliance will you purchase? Will it be a typical standalone unit or a gleaming high-end espresso machine? Will it be built into your cabinetry or will it be built into your fridge (yes, you CAN get refrigerators with built-in Keurig machines!)
  • Dedicated storage for cups, grinders, and other brewing utensils as well as coffee pods, beans, syrups, etc. should be considered. Storage should be in close proximity to the appliance to allow for easy, quick coffee creation.
  • Access to filtered water. Depending upon the coffee appliance, some will need to be plumbed directly to a filtered water source.

Harrell Design + Build designer, Gloria Carlson, has worked with a number of clients who are coffee lovers. “I’ve worked with several clients who’ve requested a dedicated space for a high-end espresso machine. These dedicated centers serve as a focal point for the barista of the family and generally have included nearby specialized storage and integrated plumbing for filtered water.”

Specialized Soda Bar

While coffee is the elixir for some, Gloria had another client who absolutely loved soda. They preferred fountain soda versus canned or bottled, and since they also frequently entertained in their home, they decided to create a soda bar for their own enjoyment, as well as that of their guests.

“A lot of thought and planning went into designing the space for this beverage center, especially the cabinet where the syrups, water filter, refrigeration unit, circulating lines and carbonation tank were stored,” Gloria explains. “It needed to be easily accessible and spacious enough to hold all of the ingredients and equipment but also hidden away.”

These clients had a dedicated beverage center that not only included the soda bar gun that offered eight different soda choices (the combining of carbonation, water and syrup is called “brixing” and each type of soda has its own unique settings), but also had a sink, ice maker, and beverage refrigerator to store beer and wine. There was also ample storage for glassware and a dishwasher drawer specifically for washing glasses at the soda counter rather than hauling them back and forth to the primary dishwasher. And, to top it all off, Gloria designed a custom backsplash with vintage soda bottlecaps that served as the focal point (not to mention conversation starter!) of the beverage bar.

Things to consider when designing a beverage center for soda include:

  1. Location: will this be within your primary kitchen space or elsewhere, such as a Great Room?
  2. Storage for glassware, ingredients, carbonation, etc.
  3. Appliances: Will you need a bar gun, ice maker, dishwasher, and/or beverage fridge?
  4. Water filtration system: To enhance the flavor of your beverage, filtered water is a must.
  5. Chiller: Mixing the soda with pre-chilled water ensures it isn’t watered down by ice

Sparkling & Still Water

And then there are the beverage purists, those who want access to filtered water that can be either chilled or hot, sparkling or still. Instant hot water has been around for a while, but built-in carbonated water is a relatively new enhancement to the kitchen. Creating a dedicated water center is made fairly simple when utilizing a specialized faucet such as the Grohe Blue, which provides both unfiltered water for tasks like washing dishes, as well as filtered water for drinking and cooking. Add to that a carbonation device along with a chiller, and you have yourself both filtered, chilled flat and filtered, chilled carbonated water.

Hydro Tap by Zip Water is another new alternative that creates chilled, filtered, sparkling, and hot water all from the same unit. The faucets are designed to be tall enough to fill pitchers and can even be used at an island without a sink beneath, since odds are, this will be providing drinking and cooking water only.

When installing a still/sparkling water beverage center, consider the following:

  1. Location: Will this be at your primary kitchen sink or on an island for easier accessibility by guests?
  2. Type of Faucet: Do you want a dual-purpose faucet (washing as well as consumption) or will it be purely a beverage area?
  3. Storage: If you do want heated, carbonated, filtered, and chilled water, these units will need nearby storage for the chilling or heating tanks, filters and carbonation tanks. It is also worth creating storage for glassware that is near the beverage center.

Do you love handcrafted coffees, perfectly chilled sparkling water, or maybe an ice-cold soda mixed just the way you like it? The creative, top-notch design team at Harrell Design + Build can make your drink-of-choice dreams come true! We invite you to set up time to meet with Certified Kitchen Designer, Gloria Carlson, or another of our designers at our Los Gatos or Palo Alto showrooms to discover the possibilities in your home!

Harrell premier designer, Gloria Carlson, has two degrees from Stanford University. She began her career in Speech Technology, but left to raise two children. After remodeling her home in 2001, she realized that design was her passion. She went to work for her contractor and returned to school to study Interior Design at Cañada College, where she specialized in Kitchen and Bath Design and Green/Sustainable Design. Gloria quickly realized that the kitchen was her favorite room to design, and decided to focus her years of training on this specialty, including multiple examinations from the National Kitchen and Bath Association, and earned the title of Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD). Before joining Harrell Design + Build, Gloria worked as a Designer in a Kitchen and Bath showroom, and now she enjoys designing projects of all sizes, from a small bathroom update to whole house interior and exterior remodels and additions.

Gloria prides herself on listening to her clients and providing designs that are appropriate to their lifestyles and their homes. She possesses a practical approach to her projects, creative style, and responsiveness to her client’s needs. She also is very attentive to both budget and detail. “Remodeling one’s home can be stressful, so I try to make the process as fun as possible,” says Gloria. “I listen carefully to the homeowner’s desires, whether functional, aesthetic or budgetary, and come up with a plan that will work for them. Then, throughout the project, they know they can count on me to respond quickly to questions and help with decisions.”

Gloria has won multiple awards for her designs from the local chapters of NKBA, NARI, ASID and IFDA. Outside of work, Gloria loves to play tennis, and being a “foodie”, enjoys everything epicurean.

3 minutes with CEO Emeritus Ciro Giammona

I enjoy making and fixing things. Ok, breaking things can be fun too. My interest and passion for remodeling started at age 4 as I followed my Grandfather (a carpenter) around, watching him work on his own home.

In high school my favorite classes were physics, electronics, and auto shop. I learned to develop black and white photographs. I rebuilt the engine in my ’62 Impala. Then I fell in love for the first time: with a guitar.

Who knew you could play any Credence Clearwater song with 3 chords? I co-founded a rock and roll band and played professionally for a few years. I studied recording arts in New York, and landed in a recording studio in San Francisco. Meanwhile, I met the wonderful woman who would become my wife, and we put down roots.

I became an electronics tech, and we bought our first home, a fixer-upper. We remodeled the kitchen, the bathrooms, refinished floors, installed trim, wallpaper and paint. The remodeling bug bit me.

We sold that house, quit our jobs and bought a second fixer-upper and did it all over again. Then a third, until our two wonderful kids came along. I became a production manager for another Bay Area remodeler, and eventually earned my General Contractor’s License and started my own business, doing marketing, estimating, sales, production and business management. Wearing so many hats took its toll, but fortunately, I found Harrell Design + Build where I could lend my talents without burning out.

With the generosity of our company founders Iris Harrell and Ann Benson, I was thrilled to be part of the team that brought Harrell Design + Build to 100% Employee Ownership. I am pleased to serve as a Director of the California Center for Employee Ownership.

I’m a NARI Certified Remodeler, blessed to be a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, and I serve on the Board of TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley’s own world-class regional theatre. I still play guitar and sing (as I have for over 30 years) with the E-Ticket Band.