This split-level Portola Valley home was built around one stunning view

Modern split-level home with wood siding, gray stucco and a stone base beneath a sprawling oak tree in Portola Valley

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Tobin Dougherty Architects designed this modern split-level home in Portola Valley, California. The interiors are by Sullivan Studio, formerly Sullivan Design Studio. Set among oak trees, the 6,400-square-foot house faces unobstructed views of the coastal range and Windy Hill. A deep, overhanging flat roof with a stepped fascia keeps the structure’s classic modern lines crisp.

The two-story home took gold in the Gentry Home Design Excellence awards. A photovoltaic panel system, designed for zero net energy, supplies the home’s power. The construction also follows California’s Build It Green guidelines. Sustainable materials appear inside and out, including recycled old-growth cedar and prefabricated concrete panel siding. The homeowners have praised the architect’s attention to how they would use the house every day. They call it “not just a showcase house but a wonderful home.” Continue below to see the rest of the stunning home…

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECTURE Tobin Dougherty Architects
BUILDER Behrens-Curry Homes
INTERIOR DESIGN Sullivan Studio

Modern split-level home at dusk with a flat roof, wood siding, a two-story glass entry and lit floating concrete steps

What We Love About This Home

This split-level home feels connected to nature thanks to expansive windows and sculptural ceiling heights. The design is as imaginative as it is striking, from indoors to out, and that indoor-outdoor connection is perfection!

Tell Us: What are your thoughts on the overall design of this Portola Valley home? Which design elements stand out to you most? Please share your feedback in the Comments!

Note: Have a look at another fabulous home tour by the interior designer of this project, Sullivan Studio: Classic farmhouse style with soothing interiors in Northern California. For more homes in the area, see A ranch house surrounded by a breathtaking oak grove in Portola Valley and Inside this modern Portola Valley dream home with absolutely stunning views.

Fiber Cement Siding and a Pivoting White Oak Entry Door

Front facade with a deep flat roof overhang, horizontal wood siding and a tall wood-framed glass entry

Above: The tan fascia and exterior panels are Swisspearl fiber cement in a rain screen system, paired with horizontal wood siding. The stucco is a custom color with an added coating that gives it a velvety finish.

Two-story wood-framed glass entry with textured glass panels and an open pivoting white oak door

Above: The pivoting entry door is made of solid white oak overlapping panels with a custom fumed finish.

White oak pivot door with overlapping panels and a long steel pull beside textured glass windows

Living and Dining Spaces with Cedar Ceilings and Walnut Beams

Two-story entry with glass globe pendants and a pivot door, open to a dining room with leather chairs and a chevron rug

Above: A cluster of glass globe pendants from jGoodDesign hangs in the two-story entry, with the dining room just beyond. Leather dining chairs sit on a chevron rug under a walnut ceiling panel.

Living room with a steel-paneled fireplace, stacked stone wall, black leather lounge chairs and a red rug facing floor-to-ceiling windows

Above: In the living room, the wall above the fireplace is custom patina-finish steel paneling with a walnut reveal. The stone is custom ledge-cut natural Colorado stone. Western cedar plank ceiling panels mixed with walnut beams add texture and help with acoustics. The designers chose finishes that could carry outdoors as well, which strengthens the home’s indoor-outdoor connection.

Living room with a cedar plank ceiling and walnut beams, steel fireplace wall and a view to the walnut stairs and entry

Black leather lounge chairs and a glass-topped coffee table sit on a red rug. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out to the hills.

How the Split-Level Layout Works

To maximize the views, the architects used an open layout. The entry sits between the first and second levels. As you walk in, the rise in elevation is gradual and barely noticeable.

Split-level landing with walnut stairs, cable railings and glass globe pendants under a cedar ceiling

Walnut stair treads with a wood and steel handrail and cable railing

Walnut Kitchen with a 22-Foot Glass Wall

Modern kitchen with walnut cabinets, a white island with gray swivel stools and a stainless range hood

Long kitchen island beside an open NanaWall glass door system leading to a covered terrace with hill views

Above: In the kitchen, the lighter cabinets are bleached walnut and the darker stripe is natural walnut with a clear finish. The walnut flooring has a low-sheen finish and a light stain to enrich the color. A 22-foot NanaWall glass door system opens the kitchen to the outdoors.

Covered terrace with a granite-topped dining table, gray chairs and overhead heaters, open to the kitchen

Above: The glass wall folds open to a covered terrace with a granite-topped dining table. Above, a cedar ceiling holds built-in heaters.

Powder Room and Bathrooms with Terrazzo and Limestone

Powder room with a stone vessel sink on a floating walnut vanity, glass pendant lights and terrazzo floor

Above: In the powder room, a stone vessel sink sits on a floating walnut vanity. Two glass pendants hang on either side, and the floor is terrazzo.

Primary bathroom with a freestanding tub under a window, green glass tile shower and long double vanity

Above: In the primary bathroom, the vanity top is pure white Caesarstone. The floor is Sienna Silver limestone tile from Walker Zanger’s Moda collection. A freestanding tub sits under a window facing the hills, and green glass tile lines the walk-in shower.

Bathroom with a terrazzo countertop, walnut vanity and dark gray tile walk-in shower

Above: In this bathroom, the countertop is terrazzo.

White tile shower with bands of green bubble mosaic tile and a corner bench

Each bathroom has its own tile, from bands of green bubble mosaic to a wall of blue glass tile.

Shower with a blue glass tile wall beside a wood vanity with a white countertop

Exterior Views Among the Oaks

Rear of the house with tan fiber cement panels, a covered balcony with cable railing and a landscaped grass slope

From the back, tan fiber cement panels and a covered balcony with cable railings look over a grassy slope.

Cantilevered upper level and covered balcony glowing at dusk above a lower patio, with a fire pit on the lawn

Above: At dusk, the cantilevered upper level and covered balcony glow above a lower-level patio. Out on the lawn, a fire pit offers warmth and ambiance.

Rear of the modern split-level home at dusk with lit windows, outdoor stairs and a fire pit with two lounge chairs

From the lawn, the whole rear of the house comes into view. Outdoor stairs lead down to a terrace and fire pit.

Modern split-level home at dusk above a grassy berm, with a swimming pool and patio dining area in the foreground

Above: A swimming pool sits below the house at the foot of a grassy berm. Nearby, a dining area rests under an umbrella.

Rendering, Site Plan and Floor Plans

Computer rendering of the modern split-level home with wood siding and a flat roof among trees and tall grass

Above: The architects made this computer rendering of the home before construction began. The site plan below shows how the house sits among the oaks, with the pool and lawn to one side. On the floor plans, the main level holds the family room, kitchen, living and dining rooms, a study and the primary suite. The lower level has three more bedrooms plus a game room, media room and wine room.

Site plan showing the house, pool, lawn and surrounding oak trees on the property