During the summer of 2017, Aiko Morton and her family were ready to return to the United States after almost two decades as ex-patriots in Japan and Singapore. Aiko’s father’s health had been in a decline and she longed to be closer to home and to finally plant permanent roots for her, her husband, and three teenage daughters. Aiko called on her sister, interior designer, to assist her in the selection of property, architect, and general contractor.

Upon the selection of the Goodhill Road property in Kentfield, CA the design team was quickly established. Despite the overgrowth of plantings on the property, we knew the land was special with views of the Bay to the east and Mt. Tamalpais to the west.

The property consisted of a primary home on a steep hill connected to a separate garage and apartment with a pool house down below. The primary home was ultimately demolished only maintaining the structural foundation, and the garage/apartment and pool house were cosmetic renovations on the exterior and interior.

The program established by Aiko and her family included the need for a contemporary home blending Japanese and Scandinavian design; she wanted the interiors to feel warm and welcoming, focusing on the spectacular views and glorious California light. They wanted to have a primary suite on the main level, with three en-suite bedrooms and a media room at the walkout level.

After months of sketching the floor diagrams, it was decided that, while not ideal, the Kitchen would be at the far end of the home, away from the garage and parking plaza, requiring a longer than usual walk from parking the car to the kitchen with groceries. We wanted to embrace this time of movement and flow through and around the home, so rather than focusing only on the destination, we made the journey a stunning experience along a quiet koi pond hugging the perimeter of the home.

The light and lighting were also carefully considered for the home; we wanted soaring windows to welcome the California sunshine, only filtered softly through linen shades, so we worked with the architect to select floor to ceiling sliding doors that open the home into an indoor/outdoor pavilion with deep overhangs with heaters tucked between rafters to provide warmth on chilly nights. Large decks were designed off the west side of the home maximizing the focus toward the captivating views. Custom decorative light fixtures were designed by Margaret O’Rorke (ceramicist from UK) and Sirrka Pikkari (metal weaver from Finland), all creating a glowing effect, making the home appear to glow like a lantern or a beacon from below.