Before And After Photos: Epic Mill Valley, CA Home Extreme Makeover

Posted on April 4, 2016 by TheGaetanoGroup

Listed By: Pacific Union Real Estate

Credit for this project–both design and construction– goes to Architect firm Zack de Vito (Bay Area architectural aficionados may recognize for the firm’s work on Bacar and Steelhouse 1 and 2 in San Francisco, Super Duper Burger in Mill Valley, or Tres Agaves in Roseville and San Francisco, among others). “The old house was built in 1969, was a ‘kit house’ of sorts; there quite a few similar houses sprinkled around Mill Valley,” Jim Zack said. “It was pretty cheap construction, and when we bought it the interior had already been demolished- it was a ‘work in progress’.”

That progress had specific goals. One: modern, clean beauty (witness gallery above). Two: flexibility. “The floor plan is open and spacious [over 4,000 square feet]: three of the five bedrooms are designed with flexible use in mind- they can be master bedrooms, an in-law unit, home office or family room,” said Zack. In addition, the home has four and a half baths.

Eco and human friendly

A third goal for the project: sustainability. This extends to both energy and water efficiency. Cleverly, ZackdeVito also implemented systems that make the people who live in the home more efficient at caring for it– starting with a solar PV system and high efficiency appliances, moving to dual pane doors and windows, and ending with an electric car charging station and a laundry-to- landscape water diverter. In addition, materials were sourced from reclaimed or recycled content whenever possible.

The house is billed, fascinatingly, as “virtually maintenance free,” in part because of the systems mentioned above, but also because designers used pre-finished or naturally weathering materials: steel rain screen siding, acrylic and cement stucco, cedar and redwood railings, 2,875 square feet of weather resistant decking, as well as drought tolerant landscaping.

Other noteworthy features

Want more for your millions? There’s (lots) more, including:

New energy efficient six-person spa
Close to downtown but quietly perched at the road’s end. Hiking trails abound
Fully wired for data and audio/visual as well as remote control of home’s heating, cooling and access
Custom two-story book shelves and library ladder
Electric mat radiant heat in main bathrooms
Remote controlled operable skylight to increase ventilation and air circulation
Gas fireplace with custom hearth and surround
Custom climate controlled wine cellar & wine refer on main level