Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: An 1800s Sea Captain’s House Sails Into Modern Times
A California designer and his wife lovingly restore their throwback gem while carefully adding some modern-day style
Entry. An antique mail and key rack from a hotel, dating to 1900, gets a second life as a wine rack above an antique entry bench.
Overdyed runner: Kilim; African cloth pillow and umbrella holder: Etsy; browse more kilim rug options
Read about the differences between various rug types
Overdyed runner: Kilim; African cloth pillow and umbrella holder: Etsy; browse more kilim rug options
Read about the differences between various rug types
Dining. The dining room, just off the front entry of the home, features a bay of windows that opens up the home to views of the surrounding hills. A custom-upholstered chair offers a spot to take advantage of the sunlight, and vintage chairs from the homeowner’s collection surround a glass table that keeps the space open and bright.
Super White wainscoting paint and Woodcliff Lake wall paint: Benjamin Moore; Mercer table: Williams Sonoma Home; Berlin pendants: Roost
Browse rectangular glass-topped dining tables
Super White wainscoting paint and Woodcliff Lake wall paint: Benjamin Moore; Mercer table: Williams Sonoma Home; Berlin pendants: Roost
Browse rectangular glass-topped dining tables
A saturated rug helps ground the space and pulls in a deeper color that speaks to the history of the home.
Overdyed rug: Kilim
Overdyed rug: Kilim
Atop an enclosed wood bar cart, bottles and bar accessories mix with personal photos of the homeowners.
Rosewood cart by Torbjorn Afdal: Past Perfect
Rosewood cart by Torbjorn Afdal: Past Perfect
Kitchen. The rich chocolate-brown subway tile in the kitchen keeps with the deep colors that were used extensively in the interior design of homes in the late 1800s. (The tile is no longer in production, but the designers say Abaca in glossy from the Stellar collection at Sonoma Tilemakers is a close approximation.) The countertops are Antiqued Zimbabwe granite.
Lacey Pearl wall paint: Benjamin Moore; refrigerator: Maytag; range: DCS; Ladylux3 pro faucet: Grohe
Lacey Pearl wall paint: Benjamin Moore; refrigerator: Maytag; range: DCS; Ladylux3 pro faucet: Grohe
Wine and beverage refrigerators flank a set of drawers in the kitchen, offering modern convenience without distracting from the classic style.
Overdyed rug: SummerHouse; custom cabinets: Urrutia Design; Quincy pulls: RH; wine and beverage refrigerators: Marvel
Overdyed rug: SummerHouse; custom cabinets: Urrutia Design; Quincy pulls: RH; wine and beverage refrigerators: Marvel
Functional racks for pots and pans and knives, plus a utilitarian clock, help emphasize the sea captain sensibility that is core to the history of the home.
See more kitchen storage ideas
See more kitchen storage ideas
Sitting room. A fireplace, clad in local Napa Chip (also called Napa Cobble) anchors a comfortable sitting area adjacent to the kitchen.
As was typical in the time that the house was built, the rooms were small and enclosed from one another. “The idea was to break down walls in the public spaces,” Urrutia says. “This also allowed the natural light to flow from room to room.”
Patchwork sheepskin rug and Minotti coffee table: 1stdibs; custom sofa: Urrutia Design; larger landscape art piece: Tim Mooney; smaller landscape art piece: Granville Redmond
As was typical in the time that the house was built, the rooms were small and enclosed from one another. “The idea was to break down walls in the public spaces,” Urrutia says. “This also allowed the natural light to flow from room to room.”
Patchwork sheepskin rug and Minotti coffee table: 1stdibs; custom sofa: Urrutia Design; larger landscape art piece: Tim Mooney; smaller landscape art piece: Granville Redmond
Living room. An antique table made from the wood of a Mexican ship accents the small living room.
“Breaking down walls in the public spaces is always a key to success,” Urrutia says. “It allows the rooms to be physically and visually connected. And you can always use oversized pocket doors if you want to have the ability to close the rooms down to one another.”
Custom sofa: Urrutia Design; Bling chandelier: Robert Abbey; landscape art: Scott Segerblom
“Breaking down walls in the public spaces is always a key to success,” Urrutia says. “It allows the rooms to be physically and visually connected. And you can always use oversized pocket doors if you want to have the ability to close the rooms down to one another.”
Custom sofa: Urrutia Design; Bling chandelier: Robert Abbey; landscape art: Scott Segerblom
Large biomorphic table lamps perched on rosewood and chrome nightstands successfully defy the normal rules of scale.
Nightstands and lamps: 1stdibs
Nightstands and lamps: 1stdibs
Carvalho’s collection of scents adorns the top of the dresser.
Master bathroom. Throughout the home, Urrutia and Carvalho worked to achieve an aesthetic that was traditional, with a contemporary twist. Urrutia describes it as “lots of subway tile, white Carrara marble, black [Nero Marquina] granite … with a slightly contemporary faucet or light fixture mixed in here and there.”
Newbury small etagere and framed medicine cabinet: RH
Newbury small etagere and framed medicine cabinet: RH
An all-glass enclosure opens up a small shower area.
Stellar collection wall tile in Pure White: Sonoma Tilemakers; oval green tile: Heath Ceramics (color no longer in production)
Stellar collection wall tile in Pure White: Sonoma Tilemakers; oval green tile: Heath Ceramics (color no longer in production)
Laundry room. A glossy black door and matching subway tile offer sophistication to the laundry room. The countertop is honed White Carrara marble.
Stellar collection wall tile in Night Fall gloss: Sonoma Tilemakers; washer and dryer in Graphite Steel: LG
Stellar collection wall tile in Night Fall gloss: Sonoma Tilemakers; washer and dryer in Graphite Steel: LG
Guest bathroom. Sconces mounted over an oversize custom mirror project additional light into the guest bathroom.
Suprema Gloss wall tile in Crystal White: California Art Tile; Memoirs pedestal sink: Kohler; Monroe one-light sconce: Horchow; custom mirror frame: Versailles 112045, Roma Moulding; Seabury faucet: Grohe
Suprema Gloss wall tile in Crystal White: California Art Tile; Memoirs pedestal sink: Kohler; Monroe one-light sconce: Horchow; custom mirror frame: Versailles 112045, Roma Moulding; Seabury faucet: Grohe
Darker gray tiles in the guest shower provide gravity in the bright space. The floor tiles are white Carrara marble.
Suprema Gloss wall tile in Slate: California Art Tile; shower fixtures: Kohler
Suprema Gloss wall tile in Slate: California Art Tile; shower fixtures: Kohler
Home office. At the top of the house sits the crown jewel: the homeowners’ design studio and office, with pristine views.
Light fixture: Etsy; Mercer table: Williams Sonoma Home; blue velvet midcentury chairs: Gunlocke; overdyed rug: Kilim
Light fixture: Etsy; Mercer table: Williams Sonoma Home; blue velvet midcentury chairs: Gunlocke; overdyed rug: Kilim
Powder room. Bright whites and chrome finishes contrast with dark textured wallpaper in the powder room. The countertop is honed white Carrara marble.
Soho Hemp 5281 wallpaper in black and white: Phillip Jeffries; Cortland sconce: Hudson Valley Lighting; Mario mirror: Uttermost; Art Deco console washstand: Signature Hardware; Kathryn undermount sink with glazed underside: Kohler; Lombardia faucet: Rohl; flooring: polished Arabesque white Carrara marble: The Builder Depot
Soho Hemp 5281 wallpaper in black and white: Phillip Jeffries; Cortland sconce: Hudson Valley Lighting; Mario mirror: Uttermost; Art Deco console washstand: Signature Hardware; Kathryn undermount sink with glazed underside: Kohler; Lombardia faucet: Rohl; flooring: polished Arabesque white Carrara marble: The Builder Depot
Back patio. Outside the back door, a quiet spot for repose nestles among potted plants.
Moruya nautical bulkhead sconce: Cocoweb; Ravello teak chair: TerraPatio
Landscape design: Urrutia Design
Structural engineer: Chuck Utzman
Plumbing: Medina Plumbing
Electrical: Canning Electric
Fire sprinklers: Sinclair Plumbing
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Moruya nautical bulkhead sconce: Cocoweb; Ravello teak chair: TerraPatio
Landscape design: Urrutia Design
Structural engineer: Chuck Utzman
Plumbing: Medina Plumbing
Electrical: Canning Electric
Fire sprinklers: Sinclair Plumbing
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Jason Urrutia, Martha Carvalho and their two Bernese mountain dogs
Location: Sausalito, California
Size: 2,700 square feet (251 square meters); four bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms
Designers: Jason Urrutia and Martha Carvalho of Urrutia Design
Originally built by a sea captain in 1884, the home of designers Jason Urrutia and Martha Carvalho has had many incarnations. When the couple purchased it, it had been broken into a triplex but had curb appeal and was, as Urrutia puts it, “unquestionably a diamond in the rough, with as much potential as any house in town.”
The designers’ vision was to stay in character with the original architecture, a blend of Victorian and farmhouse. “There was no need to reinvent the wheel or to bring another genre into the mix,” Urrutia says. “We simply turned the triplex into a house.”
With odd additions that had been put on over the years, the building needed attention everywhere. The structure was gutted while the facade was kept intact. All of the structural and functional basics were upgraded — from a new concrete perimeter foundation to shear walls, electrical, plumbing, fire sprinklers, security, roof, gutters, decks, patio and landscaping.
Preserved in the process were the original portico, shiplap siding, corbels, guard rail at the entry deck, widow’s walk, “rolled” glass in the windows and the rooster weathervane. Ultimately, the house became a refreshed version of its old self.
Super White exterior and trim paint: Benjamin Moore; antique pendant light