Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A New Midcentury-Inspired Home Stands Out Just Enough
Behind this home’s subdued midcentury exterior is a minimalist interior with high-end finishes and materials
As designer Ryan Knock tells it, his clients didn’t have a specific vision for the exterior of their new home, as long as it fit into their Oakland, California, neighborhood and looked good. Taking style cues from the homes nearby, Knock designed a midcentury exterior composed of durable materials that will hold up for many years to come.
The front door is painted in Ignition from C2 Paint. The entryway floor is made out of an Ardex product that is similar to concrete but can be applied in thinner coats, Knock says. Bordering the stairway are custom shelves with an ultraclear glass back, designed by woodworker Matt Eastvold.
The skylight above the entryway allows light to pass through to the floors below.
Downstairs, the open living, kitchen and dining area opens up to a deck and garden below. Dramatic Calacatta Viola marble used for the kitchen island and the living area coffee table (which Knock designed) has striking veins with just a hint of purple. The floors have hydronic heating embedded in a matte-finished concrete.
Kids are encouraged to draw on the chalkboard wall of the living area. The couple wanted a concrete floor in remembrance of the industrial loft they lived in before moving to this house. The ceiling is prefinished rift white oak. The walls at the back of the space conceal the powder room and media room.
The long walnut table extends the island, making it more useful for the family and providing a linear anchor point for the open space. The table at the end ensures the dramatic marble veining is exposed “to make more of a statement,” Knock says.
Matt Eastvold also designed the table, shelves and light fixture. The Leicht cabinetry is etched-black glass.
Matt Eastvold also designed the table, shelves and light fixture. The Leicht cabinetry is etched-black glass.
A pair of large folding doors by LaCantina open onto a redwood deck that steps down into the yard.
HardiePanel lap siding on the second floor is juxtaposed with the board and batten. The wide redwood deck and grassy yard provide plenty of outdoor play space.
Eastvold custom-made the walnut bed frame in the master bedroom. The sconces are by Los Angeles lighting designer Brendan Ravenhill. The bedrooms have wood floors to add a sense of warmth to the minimalist space.
With a relatively small lot and neighbors nearby, wrapping the house in all glass would not have been practical for privacy. “We had to get the layout exactly right within the compact footprint,” Knock says. “But we completed a modern design without putting glass around the whole thing, and it’s become a showcase home for us that demonstrates what our work is all about.”
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Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two children
Location: Oakland
Size: 2,300 square feet (213.7 square meters)
Designer: Knock Architecture and Design
The new two-story home in Oakland’s Trestle Glen neighborhood is midcentury modern in spirit with a slight dash of bungalow style to fit into the neighborhood. The house sits on a steep, downsloped lot. The driveway and walkway are lined with concrete pavers. The board-and-batten siding is from HardiePanel.