House Tour: A sophisticated Atherton, California estate with luxurious interiors

White two-story transitional estate with gray front door, iron balcony railing, and mature redwood trees

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This stylish and sophisticated family estate in Atherton, California, was designed by ME Associates together with Sarahliz Lawson Design. What started as a complicated remodel of an old but beautiful farmhouse ultimately became a stunning new house, built from the ground up, with the exact floor plan and personal touches the client wanted and deserved.

The property had originally beckoned with so much promise: a guest house for in-laws, a large backyard anchored by a century-old oak tree, and the most picturesque front porch. But when it was discovered that the home’s foundation was failing, the homeowners faced months of difficult deliberation over whether the repairs were worth the expense.

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECT ME Associates
CONTRACTOR Brian Kelly
INTERIOR DESIGN Sarahliz Lawson Design

A Grand Entrance

Curved staircase with black iron balusters, brass accents, and geometric black-and-white marble foyer floor

The designers began their work by rethinking the existing home’s floor plan, creating a conceptual design package complete with 3-D renderings and detailed floor plans. When the project scope shifted from a remodel to a full new build, they handed their ideas off to an architect and dove deep into preparing interior architectural drawings detailing all finishes throughout the house.

Grand foyer with wainscoting panels, modern chandelier, and view into formal living room with colorful artwork

This included Interior Elevations, Floor Plans showing flooring finishes and electrical layouts, a complex trim and millwork package, a custom vent hood design, and all paint and finish schedules. From there, the team collaborated closely with the homeowners on furniture, lighting, and window treatment selections, and finally assisted with art placement during installation, bringing every last detail of their dream home to life.

Elegant Living Room

Formal living room with curved navy velvet sofa, dusty rose chairs, organic wood coffee table, and chain chandelier

What We Love About This Home

What captivates us most about this Atherton estate is the beautiful mix of the refined and the unexpected. Traditional architectural details such as the wainscoting, curved staircases, and barrel-vaulted ceilings set the stage for bold contemporary art and sculptural furniture, brimming with personality. The kitchen is particularly striking, with a dramatic marble waterfall island, a custom dark range hood, warm oak cabinetry, and brass accents intermingling beautifully. The fact that this home rose from a failing foundation to become exactly what the family envisioned makes every detail feel that much more meaningful.

Tell Us: What is your favorite space in this Atherton family estate? We would love to hear your thoughts in the Comments below!

Note: Check out a couple of other incredible home tours that we have showcased here on One Kindesign in the state of California: A serene and inviting Northern California home filled with timeless design ideas and Tour this chic Northern California modern farmhouse with unique features.

Living room with biomorphic navy sofa, woven round coffee table, and contemporary art above marble fireplace

The Barrel-Vaulted Dining Room

Dining room with barrel-vaulted graffiti-art ceiling, live-edge oval table, and adjacent glass-enclosed wine cellar

Dining room with dramatic black abstract mural ceiling, globe pendant light, and herringbone hardwood floor

Close-up of live-edge dining table with rebar-frame chairs and backlit wine cellar behind steel-framed glass door

Kitchen With A Waterfall Island

Open-plan kitchen and dining area with marble waterfall island, brass pendant lights, and fluted white ceiling

Kitchen with dark range hood, sage green hutch, marble island, and oval walnut dining table with brass-frame chairs

Kitchen With A Statement Metal Hood

Kitchen featuring dramatic marble waterfall island, dark French range with brass trim, and warm oak pantry cabinet

Kitchen sink wall with full marble backsplash, brass bridge faucet, and professional black-and-gold range

Kitchen with marble island and backsplash, brass range hood, frosted glass pendant lights, and herringbone floor

Family room corner with tufted teal lounge chair, see-through linear fireplace, and marble surround

Room To Gather

Open-plan family room and kitchen with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors opening to backyard

Family room with marble see-through fireplace, teal tufted chairs, bubble coffee table, and boucle armchairs

Powder Bath

Powder room with bold floral wallpaper, dark beadboard wainscoting, checkered floor, and marble vessel sink

The Owner’s Bedroom

Primary bedroom with four-poster bed, slate blue grasscloth walls, boucle accent chairs, and sputnik chandelier

Primary bedroom with dark grasscloth walls, four-poster bed, marble fireplace, and brass sputnik ceiling light

A Spa-Like Bathroom

Primary bathroom with geometric marble mosaic floor, silver freestanding soaking tub, and navy vanity cabinets

Primary bathroom with freestanding soaking tub, dark grasscloth walls, geometric marble tile floor, navy vanity, and glass-enclosed marble shower

Glamorous Walk-In Closet

Primary walk-in closet with white cabinetry, mirrored wardrobe doors, marble island, and brass chandelier

The Study

Dark home office with sage green arched built-in bookcase, channel-tufted leather chairs, and brass globe pendant

Light-Filled Family Room

Upstairs lounge with segmented gray sofa, boucle accent chairs, brass chandelier, and watercolor-washed walls

Her Home Office

Home office with bold black-and-white graphic wallpaper, curved ivory sofa, and built-in desk with brass hardware

Guest bathroom vanity with taupe drawer cabinet, gold-framed mirror, brass sconces, and geometric tile floor

Girl's bedroom with pink chinoiserie wallpaper, macrame hanging chair, and view into en suite bathroom

Girl's bathroom with pink clawfoot tub, white hexagon bee-motif wall tiles, and pink hexagon floor tiles

Bathroom with hand-painted chinoiserie mural wallpaper, marble console sink on polished nickel legs, and asymmetrical brass mirror

PHOTOGRAPHER David Duncan Livingston