Credits
From Debra Amerson, Northern CA
This 60+ year old cottage formerly owned by Italian San Francisco resturanteurs, who came to west Marin for the warm sunshine, family gatherings and a little wine bootlegging. Several related Italian families bought cottages near one another and socialized in a now defunct club house in the common area, a model of co-housing long before the concept and term co0housing became vogue. While the foot print of the house remains small by Marin County standards, in 2014 the cottage was remodeled into an organic light filled home... a relaxing haven with sweeping views of majestic Doug Firs. Storms, squirrel and bird watching is very satisfying from the taller glass windows trimmed in reclaimed antique tobacco barn wood to match the hardwood flooring.
Custom touches abound including a sand plaster all finish, lime plaster walls, a natural milk paint ceiling and a tomato red Venetian plaster wall sealed with boiling ball wax.
The guest room features an amazingly beautiful seashell clad book shelf with an integrated mounted tv. a simple day bed with custom plywood and a piano hinge folds out and a custom table / bed brace easily creates a Cal king when guests arrive. Whimsical curtains provide an instant privacy barrier from the rest of the kitchen. Guests can enter the lux granite clad bathroom from their private space.
The bedroom is simple and features older, well built furniture transformed with paint and contemporary hardware, slate and decor.
The kitchen has custom cut tile backsplashes, earthy blue green granite from Brazil that features gorgeous ammonite fossils adding nature inspired materials with bamboo cabinetry fits perfectly with country living.
The bathroom features a walk in pebble tile shower with striking bookends of gold, white, black and green Parthenon granite. It has many images that one can discern while showering... a Rorschach test left up to each persons imagination. The custom teak cabinets by Thomas Fetherston Custom Furniture add grounded elegance while a barn door slider hides the Bosch washer and dryer stack until someone steps into the toilet room. The West Marin Treehouse is a modern green home designed for beauty and energy efficiency and utmost space utilization. What once was an old cottage lacking love and good bones is now a wonderful retreat from the stresses of modern life.