Gentry Home (March-April 2016)

S A N F R A N C I S C O | P E N I N S U L A | S I LI C O N VA LLE Y
M A RC H A P R I L 2 0 1 6
30
YEARS
EX
E B R AT I N
G
EL
CELLEN
License #B-478455
MARCH APRIL 2016
features
38 | California Cool
The architectural dream team of Robert

Swatt and George Miers conceives a
minimalist chic dream home in Tiburon.
46 | Modern Day Chalet

Award-winning interior designer Sarah
Jones imbues a dramatic Martis Camp
estate with a contemporary Tahoe vibe.
departments
12 | Letter from the Editor
28 | Destination Design
New & Now
52 | Ritz Redux
19 | Inspirations
Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts has

been expanding with striking new properties while quietly undergoing strategic
facelifts across the globe. The results
are nothing short of dazzling.
Fresh Attitude. Runway trends inform

todays best furnishings, textiles,
and accessories.
The House of Lions. Since its debut in

2013, the Four Seasons St. Petersburg
has inspired the global design community with its meticulous restoration and
the modern take on the spirit of Imperial
Russia. Corrine Mehigan reports.
26 | My Life
34 | Outdoor Living
Green Thumb. Landscape architect

Brian Koch of Terra Ferma is known
for creating magical gardens and
ultra-chic modern landscapes.
Gentry Home reports.
Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen. Gentry

Home visits an exquisite garden and
outdoor entertaining space in Palo Alto
complete with a covet-worthy Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet kitchen.
58 | In Marin County:
An Ode to Grey
Designer Ann Lowengart created

elegant new interiors with artful
lighting, chic woven textiles, and
thirty shades of grey.
80 | The GH Compendium
Design calendar, sources, and stockists
for this issue.
82 | Quintessence
Fresh Focus. Silicon Valley-based
interior designer Annalisa Avelar is in
high demand for fresh spaces and a
contemporary aesthetic. Gentry Home
caught up with Avelar to discuss her
designing ideas.
On the Cover:
The architectural dream team of Robert Swatt

and George Miers conceives a minimalist
chic dream home in Tiburon. Photography
by Russell Abraham.
10 GENTRY HOME | March April 2016
editors letter
New & Now
I vividly recall sitting next to a woman from Germany at an

event in San Jose a dozen years ago. As happens at fundraising
luncheons, conversation turned to the subject of peoples professions. She asked me what I did, and when I explained that I
edited a group of magazines that covered lifestyle and design she
grabbed my hand and asked abruptly, Why is the design so bad
here? I was taken aback. I knew that Northern California had
some extraordinary design talent, but the more we spoke, the
more I could understand her point of view. She had moved to
California with high design expectationshoping Silicon Valley
would be as avant garde in its architecture, art, and interiors as it
was cutting edge with technology. Instead, she saw a vast sea of
mini malls, office parks, and a handful of uninspired high rises.
Well its taken over a decade, but the tide is changing and
architects, in particular, are starting to wow our skylines and
neighborhoods with innovative new towers and homes that seize
the imagination. In this issue, we take a look at several exciting
projects. The award-winning architectural team of Robert Swatt
and George Miers share a modernist home project in Tiburon
that takes full advantage of one of the best views in the Bay Area
(California Cool, page 38). Swatt, Miers, and their team are in high
demand working on projects around the globe. Notes Bob Swatt,
Were finally creating the buildings we were meant to design.
Two decadeseven a decade agofolks just were not interested
in true contemporary architecture. Thankfully, thats changed.
The management team at Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts read the trend
toward modern architecture and authenticity of location nearly 15 years ago and
set in motion a plan to remodel existing
properties and build stunning new ones
to meet the high expectations of the
modern luxury traveler (Ritz Redux, page 52). To that end, they
have employed some of the major designers and architects in
the world to create these modern masterpieces.
Style expert and author Diane Dorrans Saeks catches up with
Marin-based interior designer Ann Lowengart and tours one of her
latest projects wrought in subtle hues (An Ode to Grey, page 58).
Landscape architect Brian Koch of Terra Ferma describes his
approach to fresh gardenscapes (Green Thumb, page 26). Interior
designer Annalisa Avelar of AL Interiors describes the five most
important things every interior should have (Fresh Focus, page
82). And we take a look at fashion colors and details that are
making their way from the runway to reality in furnishings, fabrics, wallpapers, and lighting (Inspirations, page 19). Enjoy!
Stefanie Lingle Beasley, Editorial Director, edit@18media.com
On My List . . .
COLORFUL PICKS FOR
ADDING A DASH OF SPRING
TO YOUR DCOR.
1| The Hydra table lamp in purple from
Currey & Company. www.curreycodealers.com
2| Rubelli Venezias Queen Anne upholstery silk,

worn as a scarf. www.donghia.com
3| Donghias new Dune in silk and linen replicates
1
3
2
waves of sand blown by the wind. www.donghia.com
4| The Jules chair by Arflex covered in Donghias
Spritz fabric and Donghias Divan sofa covered in

Donghias Backgammon fabric. www.donghia.com
5| Donghias Geode features a cotton ground with a
satin weave pattern of irregular shapes. www.donghia.com
6| British Designer Tom Faulkners Tiffany chair in

marmalade. Available at The Store by Jay Jeffers,
San Francisco. www.jayjeffers-thestore.com
Professional Management
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Atlantis Properties provides quality

management services to maximize the return
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Our professional staff is always available to
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Setting a higher standard.
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and Silicon Valley. Critically acclaimed editors, designers, and executives work in
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experience, from the heart, with a higher standard of quality, honesty, and integrity.
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Terri Tiffany, Bernard Vogel III, and Jane Yates
10 Jackson Street, Suite 107, Los Gatos, CA 95030
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Gentry Magazine (ISSN 1545-7664) is published twelve times a year by 18 Media Incorporated,
a California corporation. Entire contents copyright 2016 by 18 Media Incorporated. All rights
reserved. Reproduction or use of content in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited.
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RUNWAY
READY
Fashion-forward hues
and dressmaker
details are increasingly
influencing
furnishings and dcor.
MARCH APRIL 2016
inspirations
McGuire Bercut
lounge chair.
www.mcguirefurniture.com
Currey & Co.s Boho

chandelier.
www.curreycodealers.com
Oscar de la Rentas Bilbao

Caf rug for Elson & Co.
www.elsoncompany.com
TRIBAL
INFLUENCE
Natural textures, hand crafted

touches, and earthy colors
translate from runway to home
dcor seamlessly this season.
Tortoise shell-colored glass
decanters and ice bucket by
Oscar de la Renta Home
www.oscardelarenta.com
McGuires rectangular
concrete side table by
Sonoma artist
Pamela Holmes.
www.mcguirefurniture.com
Tory Burchs floral mesh

gown ($1,495).
www.toryburch.com
Tory Burchs weaver

tassel sandal ($450).
www.toryburch.com
Jakarta fabrics by
Suzanne Tucker.
www.suzannetuckerhome.com
PHOTO: WWW.RUSTYPHOTO.COM
www.midlandcabinet.com
650.594.0890
719 Industrial Road
San Carlos, CA 94070
inspirations
Tory Burchs fringe
hobo in maple sugar ($795).
www.toryburch.com
Valentino Spring
2016 Runway
Jessica Charles
Paloma
dining chair.
www.jessicacharles.com
Tory Burchs Paintery

jacquard dress ($895).
www.toryburch.com
Celestia embroidered
fabric by Suzanne Tucker.
www.suzannetuckerhome.com
ROSE QUARTZ
& SERENITY
Christopher Guys
Cambr chair.
www.christopherguy.com
The Pantone Color Institute selected

two signature colors for 2016: Rose
Quartz, a warm blush tone, and
Serenity, a cool tranquil blue. Bring
the pastel pair to life with these
home and fashion picks.
Christopher Guys
Courb setee.
www.christopherguy.com
Serena & Lilys La Jolla

basket ($128).
www.serenaandlily.com
Valentinos Ballerina flat

($975). www.valentino.com
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inspirations
Sutherlands mariner
tub chair by John Hutton.
www.sutherlandfurniture.com
Lace tunic ($185) by

BELL by Alicia Bell.
www.aliciabell.com
PATIO READY
New suit, new cover-up, and new

sunblocknow its time to give your
patio and pool deck a makeover.
Here are a few fabulous fashion
forward lounge pieces ready to add
glamour to your gardenscape.
The Rhea metallic

espadrille ($195)
by Tory Burch.
www.toryburch.com
The Clover tunic ($190)

by BELL by Alicia Bell.
www.aliciabell.com
Brown Jordans Suncloth

Lace & Strap collection.
www.brownjordan.com
Aerins Amelie
hourglass vase.
www.aerin.com
Sutherlands
Beachside collection.
www.sutherlandfurniture.com
883 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, CA | 650.391.9458 | www.thepicketfence.com | Courtesy to the trade
my life
GREEN
THUMB
Gentry Home interviews Landscape

Architect Brian Koch, known for
creating magical gardens and
ultra-chic modern landscapes.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIAN MENDOZA
What inspired you to go into landscape design and architecture?

As a boy, I would spend hours playing in my parents backyard
Dirt pile creating miniature landscapes, paths, and water features
for my matchbox cars and figures. Later in life as a high schooler,
my passion for creative landscape design re-surfaced while working
on a ranch property in Mendocino. This time, using tractors and
hand tools, I was able to work with the land and shape it into real
life paths and garden spaces. After that, I was hooked!
My most pivotal educational experience was at Filoli in Woodside. After I earned a degree in Horticulture from the University
of Vermont, I was incredibly fortunate to intern in the gardens at
Filolithey truly are the Bay Areas premier historical gardens.
That time at Filoli informs my work to this day. I realized then
that designing and then building a garden are just the first steps.
Maintaining it and seeing it flourish properly is an honor. Not
only do we help our clients envision their dream garden, we help
them build it and also offer ongoing fine gardening services to
ensure it grows beautifully over time.
Do you have a particular style? Our team prides itself on being able
to work in a myriad of styles to meet the needs of the client and the
sites that we work on for them. The best style is one that is timeless
and adapts with each site and for each

client. Many of our clients are seeking
a Transitional Style design. This essentially means that they
would like to marry the style of their home with a modern landscape that is responsive to our California weather and lifestyle. Features and nuances of each project are taken from physical cues that
exist at the site, such as mature trees and topography.
Which landscape architects do you most admire? If I had to narrow it down, Id say one from the present and one from the past.
For the past, it has to be Tommy Church. He understood life in
the Bay Area and was a visionary for western gardens and design.
He reshaped how, when, and where people use their gardens. For
example, he understood folks gravitate towards the mature stately
oaks in the afternoon, sipping iced tea, and watching the sun go
down. He figured out people and the way they want to use their
gardens before they figured it out themselves. We keep these ideas
in mind for every project that we work on with our clients.
My present day mentor is Andrea Cochran in San Francisco.
Her knowledge of plants and their environment is incredible. You
can have an incredible design, but if you dont know your plants
and you dont specify the right one for the right location, the
design impact will not be fully realized. Landscape architecture

only works if the plants are in harmony with the site, the environment, and the clients tastes.
Do you have any go-to plantings? When we evaluate plantings, it
is always with the site and client in mind. I start with those two
factors and then adjust to meet the garden style and the vision we
create together for the various spaces. I always select the foundational plants that anchor a site and garden very carefully. They
cant be fussy. These plants must be tolerant, require little maintenance, and have modest water requirements. Examples would be
Carex Tumilcola (Berkeley Sedge), Green Beauty Boxwood, and
Loropetalum. Beyond the foundational plantings, I love to incorporate colorful and impactful plantings. Some examples include
Viburnum Plicatum Tomentosum (love saying that one!),
Annabelle Hydrangea, and Echium Blue Bedderone of my
favorites! I like these especially because they provide a needed
pop of color at various times of the year.
How do you balance sustainability with a clients desire for a particular garden style? This takes work!!! In some cases, we need to
educate our clients when it comes to sustainability. You have to be
a good listener and take the time to inform clients of what you
have learned and explain experiences you have been through. If we
need to, we guide clients into alternate plants or garden materials
and elements that are both fitting and appropriate for the environment and site. There is often compromise when it comes to sustainability, and compromise takes time, education, and lots of back
and forth discussions.
Whats your idea of a dream project? Any project where our team
is invited by the client to view an undeveloped property before hiring an architect. Landscape architects are a bit undervalued about
what they can bring to a project, especially before the project
begins. We have an inherent skill to locate a home in just the right
spot with all the right orientations that can make an impactful difference in the homes overall design and outcome. We can minimize negative impact to the site and preserve the key elements that
might be overlooked by others. I feel it is our connection with the
land, natural features, and existing trees and plants that gives us
added value to any project. At Terra Ferma we work hard to connect with a site to understand where its strengths lie and where
weaknesses exist, so we can create opportunities to change our
clients lives with a design they will love now and in the future.
March April 2016 | GENTRY HOME 27
destination design
THEHOUSE
OF LIONS
STORY BY CORRINE E. MEHIGAN
INTERIOR DESIGN OF PUBLIC SPACES AND GUEST ROOMS
BY CHERYL ROWLEY, BEVERLY HILLS
INTERIOR DESIGN OF THE RESTAURANTS BY SPIN STUDIOS, TOKYO
ARCHITECTURE BY REARDON SMITH, LONDON
Since its debut in 2013, the Four Seasons St. Petersburg has
inspired the global design community with its meticulous
restoration and the modern take on the spirit of Imperial Russia.
From the first glimpse of the grand front entrance, guarded by

two marble lions, its obvious that the Four Seasons Hotel Lion
Palace St. Petersburg is a remarkable building with a rich legacy.
Known among city residents as the House with Lions, the
palace holds a fascinating history. Surrounding landmarks include
the State Hermitage, Mariinsky Theatre, Kazan Cathedral, and
Mikhailovsky Castle.
Originally built as the home of Princess Lobanova-Rostovskaya, it was completed in 1820 by Auguste Ricard Montferrand, appointed Court Architect by Tsar Alexander I. The residence was a wonderful example of pure neoclassic style. The
entry of the hotel represents the heritage core of the project with
original ceilings, columns, and plaster details intact. In collaboration with Raphael Dayanov, the Heritage Architect designer
Cheryl Rowley selected marbles for the floor and a grand staircase that reflect the period.
In order to maintain historical accuracy, Rowley explains: We
did an enormous amount of research on the Neoclassic period,
which Catherine the Great mandated as the official style during her
reign; the Russian Empire-style during Peter the Greats reign; and
destination design
California designer Cheryl

Rowley infused the Four
Seasons St. Petersburgs
interiors with colors from
the imperial court of Catherine the Great, including gold,
ivory, and robins-egg blue.
the city itself. The citys pastel-colored palaces inspired Rowleys

color palette for the guestrooms, about half of which have unique
combinations: sky blue and yellow with accents of crimson or
melon, and buttercup yellow with accents of blue.
The suites feature a more regal teal blue and gold with russet
accents. Accommodations all feature ivory-painted moldings and
custom-built cabinetry, as well as warm walnut woods with gilt
accents. It has a lightness to it and a current attitude, but its definitely period, says Rowley, who chose appropriately rich velvets,
silk damasks, and woven textures, as well as window draperies,
canopies, and pillows with tassels and trimmings to add to the sense
of period and place. As for the public spaces, she adds, The interior
colors in the promenade area surrounding the Tea Lounge were
inspired by the rosy pinks and milky blues of the sky mirrored in the
Neva River during St. Petersburgs famous White Nights.
One of the hotels most famous spaces is the Bar, inspired by Tsar
Peter the Great, founder of St. Petersburg. As Rowley notes, The
Bar is a tribute to his passion for the sea and his love of shipbuilding
and woodworking. Conceived as a series of entirely wood-clad
rooms, the Bar features parquet floors, wood paneling, and woodclad ceilings. The center wall features a double-sided fireplace while
the surrounding walls provide space for bookcases and a special custom-designed cigar humidor for guests private storage. Electrified
alabaster urns sit on pedestals flanking the windows, providing a
warm glow. Continues Rowley, The styling is pure Russian
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destination design
No detail was overlooked

in the sumptuous renovation of the hotel. Rowley
and the team of architects
dedicated to the project
took great care to maintain
historical accuracy
while also providing stateof-the-art luxuries.
Empire. A warmth and richness of materials will permeate the space. Re-creations of
Master paintings of ships and maps will
hang above the sofa groupings as a mosaic
of canvases in the style of the great Picture
Hall at Peter IIIs palace. The furnishings
are layered on Persian carpets. The front of
the bar, notes Rowley, was inspired by a
mid-19th-century Russian marble inlay
table top. Gilt bronze chandeliers from the
same period hang overhead. The mood is
intended to be dark and romantic, evocative of an earlier time.
While the heritage building provided
unique opportunities, it also offered challenges, among them the necessity to create
individual architectural guestroom configurations in order to work within the original building footprint. While this presented a significant challenge during the
design and construction phase, ultimately it
was an opportunity to create individuality
throughout the hotel, offering a welcome
relief from the usual, cookie-cutter guestroom experience. The result is one of the
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outdoor entertaining
ULTIMATE
OUTDOOR
KITCHEN
QUESTION: What do Wolfgang Puck,

Gwyneth Paltrow, and Rick Bayliss
have in common? ANSWER: A love
of great food and their Kalamazoo
Gourmet outdoor kitchens.
ust mention the name Kalamazoo Gourmet and

watch the swoons from your foodie friends. Quite
simply, the brand, which was founded in 1906 in
Kalamazoo, Michigan, sells the Rolls Royce of outdoor appliances from barbecues to pizza ovens and
much, much more. Gentry Home wanted to see what
all the hype was about, so we headed to a gorgeous new garden
complete with Kalamazoo entertaining spaces in Palo Alto.
The homeowners assembled a dream team to create this elegant
backyard. Betty P. Lee of Palo Altos Topiary Design was charged
with creating the overall landscape design. She crafted a space
tailor-made for entertaining. Whether its a simple family dinner or
a major party for close to a 100 friends, this garden is ready with elegant gathering spaces. But the fun part comes down to firing up the
barbecue and gourmet pizza oven.
As the homeowner relates: We love to throw lots of informal
cookouts around the kitchen area with small groups of family and
friends where multiple people take turns in both cooking at the grill
and making their own personal pizzas. Its really fun to gather
everyone and involve them in the hands-on prep and sampling of
OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN:

GEORGE MOUSTROUFIS,
MOUSTROUFIS ARCHITECTS
OUTDOOR COOKING AND
ENTERTAINING EQUIPMENT:
KALAMAZOO OUTDOOR GOURMET, LLC
LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN DESIGN:
BETTY P. LEE, TOPIARY DESIGN
CONSTRUCTION: JASSON FLICK,
JSD CONSTRUCTION, INC.
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION:
JIM LORD LANDSCAPING
MASONRY: SOARES MASONRY
Season 2015 | GENTRY HOME 35
outdoor entertaining
appetizers. For larger groups, we can enlist some help to man the barbeque and pizza oven.
The Kalamzoo Gourmet team helped the homeowners realize their vision for a beautiful and extremely functional outdoor entertainment space. We wanted a happy, informal outdoor cooking/entertaining space, the homeowners note, that could be completely self sufficient (no need to get stuff in and out of the house) and could be used at
any time of day all year round, with unobtrusive lighting, fans, and heaters for different
times of day/seasons.
We wanted a powerful (but not huge) gas grill that could cook with charcoal and wood,
and a pizza oven that heated up in 20 minutes, instead of the traditional wood burning
3.5 hours. For refrigeration, they required equipment to keep uncooked food safe, to
cool wine, beverages, ice, etc. They also had distinct requirements for storage cabinets
that would allow them to leave all their cooking and serving equipmentplates and
glassesoutdoors all the time. That also meant we needed large sinks with warm water,
a disposal, and an outdoor dishwasher as well, they added.
They are overjoyed with the results. The garden is so beautiful and will only get better with time, they note. And we are doing so much cooking! We love the speed and
searing heat of cooking with gas, but have ended up truly enjoying the simplicity of getting the full flavor of hardwood charcoal and large aromatic limbs of wood. The different
meats, vegetables, and fish surfaces and zones make life a lot easier. And whats better
than a pizza straight out of your own oven?
The architectural
dream team of
Robert Swatt and
George Miers
conceives a minimalist
chic dream home
in Tiburon.
CALIFORNIA
COOL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUSSELL ABRAHAM | ARCHITECTURE BY SWATT | MIERS, EMERYVILLE
Horizontal volumes, reminiscent of

those seen in great Southern California
modernist homes, make an impressive
statement in this Tiburon beauty.
A
Swatt/Miers clean sophisticated architectural
design frames show-stopping views of the
San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge.
ward-winning architect Bob Swatt

is a man clearly enjoying this chapter of his career. Smiling like the
proverbial kid in a candy store, he begins to relate the projects that
he, his partner George Miers, and their expert team are working
on right now. We have a cliff-side project on Mallorca, a home
in Bel Air, several in Napa, Sonoma, and on the Peninsula, and were
building the first modern home in Durango, Colorado. Were
really doing the work that we love now, he enthuses. That work
is crisp, modern architecture based on classical principles. We
couldnt have done this 25 or even 20 years ago, he notes. Back
then, no one was interested in this type of architecture.
Thankfully, times have changed and Swatt Miers expertise is
in high demand. One of the teams favorite projects in recent
years is the hillside residence pictured here. When I first saw
this property in Tiburon back in 2005, I was seduced immediately, recalls Swatt. The view of the Bay is one of the best views
weve ever had the good fortune to work withits nothing short
of extraordinary.
The existing home on the property was an uninspired 3,200square-foot 1970s structure made of T-111 plywood. As Swatt
says, Our clients had lived there for a few years and were finally
ready to build a home deserving of this special piece of land.
The Swatt/Miers team bases their designs on

the principles of modern architecture that have
made the West Coast so special. Each of their
buildings is knitted to its site in a way that almost seems inevitable. Notes Robert Swatt,
We strive to create architecture that both physically and visually celebrates the beauty of the
natural landscape by blushing the boundary
between inside and outside.
Frameless windows and spectacular

travertine floors that run from the inside of
the home straight out to the expansive
multi-level terraces all add to the drama
and beauty of this dream home.
Having previously worked on several homes in Tiburon, the

Swatt/Miers team was cognizant and respectful of the restrictions
they would be facing when it came time for meetings with the
towns architectural review board. The views in Tiburon are
worth a gazillion dollars, he notes. Its imperative when planning
a home to make sure that you are not interfering with the views of
anyone above you. You must also be very careful not to create light
pollution that will interfere with those neighbors views of the Bay
and San Francisco. To that end, the Swatt/Miers team painstakingly created a home that emphasized horizontal lines.
The new home is centered upon a spine that runs east-west,
says Swatt. We were able to pop up the roof line in a very small
way above the kitchen to allow in some light from clerestory
windows, but the rest of the design came from manipulating
horizontal volumes and creating huge horizontal extensions.
The team also added 2,000 square feet of living space on a lower
level. Swatt relates, The north side of the home is the entry, and
we kept it almost entirely opaque with five interesting vertical
wall panels of Jerusalem stone that bring in slivers of natural
light. The main focus, however, is to the south, east, and west.
Swatt believes that the home is one of their most successful in
terms of connecting indoor and outdoor living. Everyone wants
to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor today, says Swatt,
but this house really demonstrates how it can be done seamlessly. Vein-cut Turkish travertine was used inside the home and
outside on the terrace. The walls and ceiling inside and out were
crafted of the same materials, and pocket doors and frameless
glass windows enhance the effect. The homeowners, says Swatt,
were intimately involved in the details of both the planning and
material selection. They were laser focused on impeccable detailing and they got it. The quality of the construction on this home
is immediately apparent upon arrival.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Swatt was influenced by the
work of modernist architects like Richard Neutra and RM
Schindler. This house, says Swatt, echoes a bit of their aesthetic. It has a strong pavilion look to it. Swatt is definitely in his
wheelhouse with modernism. This is what I was born to do, he
says joyfully. And hes right.
MODERN
DAY
CHALET
Award-winning interior designer

Sarah Jones imbues a dramatic
Martis Camp estate with
a contemporary Tahoe vibe.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH JONES, RENO
ARCHITECTURE BY CLARE WALTON,

WALTON ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING, INC., TAHOE CITY
BUILT BY CRESTWOOD CONSTRUCTION, TRUCKEE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUSSELL ABRAHAM
48 GENTRY HOME | Season 2016
t 6,790 square feet, this Martis Camp home is every bit

the embodiment of the modern Tahoe lodge. Its a home
meant to be enjoyed by lots of family and friends, relates
interior designer Sarah Jones. While unmistakably sophisticated, it is a residence of
supreme function and practicality, too. Jones worked closely with architect Clare Walton
and the building team at Crestwood Construction to turn their clients dreams into reality.
The lines and architecture of the house are very clean and very modern, says Jones.
Clare really created an extraordinary structure that captures the gorgeous wooded surrounding wonderfully. The homeowners had purchased the land a number of years
before they finally built. With their design/build team finally in place, the whole project
took just under 18 months. The clients have a busy family with three children and
wanted a home that would be warm and welcoming while they were there on their own
and one that would expand seamlessly to accommodate guests, notes Jones.
To that end, all five of the bedrooms are extremely spacious, and Jones created several
built-ins and trundle beds. The resulting house has the sleeping space of a 7 8 bedroom house, she says. In the initial stages of the design process, Jones spent a lot of time
The homes crisp, clean lines frame gorgeous

Tahoe views. The dining room (opposite below)
features a floor-to-ceiling hearth flanked by
soaring windows. At dusk, with the fire going
and dappled light coming through the windows,
its simply spectacular, remarks Jones.
The kitchen melds form and function. While
its sleek and sophisticated, it is expertly
equipped to handle a crowd with ease.
interviewing the clients to understand how they live and their

design tastes. She notes, I realized early on that they wanted a
contemporary mountain home and had an affinity for Adirondack-style cabins, too. It was my task to blend that mix of modern and traditional.
In a nod to classic Adirondack style, Jones punctuated her
design with rich doses of red and a dash of plaids and stripes, but
updated them with fresh bursts of turquoise. In the living room, a
dramatic floor-to-ceiling stone hearth sets the tone. The large
space could have been overwhelming, but Jones grounded it with
back-to-back sofas covered in a sumptuous toffee-colored Lee
Jofa fabric flanked by end tables crafted of large birch logs. She
also created several distinct seating areas and added a game table.
I really love the chandelier here, points out the designer. Its the
Carousel chandelier by McLain Wiesand. It has a marvelous
French-rubbed steel frame and antique convex mirrors.
The dining room features a custom table that Jones designed
and had built by Jagger Jones in Idaho. She surrounded it with
Alder & Co. chairs with a distressed black walnut finish. The
fronts of the chairs are covered in a tan woven fabric from Pindler
& Pindler, while the backs are covered in a stripe by Schumacher.
Jones added a playful white ceramic chandelier by Roll & Hill,
which echoes the whimsical antler motif on the rooms drapes.
A massive island in the kitchen is the perfect spot for breakfast
and gatherings. Five bar stools, covered in a faux leather thats
incredibly easy to maintain, beckon kids and guests for meal time,
snacks, andin the winterplenty of hot cocoa. Over the island,
Jones hung Italian glass pendant lights by Contardi with a bronze
finish. She notes, The kitchen also has an adjacent pantry filled
with state-of-the-art appliances and lots of beverage drawers.
A show-stopping open-tread staircase is playfully accented
with a wall of vintage skis. We had a lot of fun selecting them
and laying them out in a colorful pattern, recalls Jones. I think
the building team went crazy with me as I adjusted them on the
wall, but it was worth it.
The bedrooms all have a distinct flavor and feel. The master
features a contemporary four-poster bed with custom bedding
and a blue mohair bench. Jones filled the wall with elegant pieces
of botanical artwork for a bold statement. The kids rooms are
bright and colorful, she relates. The boys room has a sliding
barn door which opens to an adjacent play area. But when other
kids are visiting, it becomes slumber party central.
For Jones, The most satisfying part of this design is that the
home is being used just as the clients wantedits warm and
inviting with a dash of whimsy and fun.
50 GENTRY HOME | Season 2016
Vintage skis (opposite above) act as sculptural artwork along the

staircase. The clients were after a soothing spa-like bath in the
master suite, relates Jones. She delivered by keeping the palette
soothing in tones of cream and toffee and utilizing elegant slabs
of stone in a waterfall effect between the vanity and soaking tub.
The four-poster bed in the master suite backs up to a fir-clad wall.
It adds coziness and texture to the space, notes the designer.
One of the childrens rooms (below) features barn doors,
built-in trundle beds, and plenty of space to play.
RITZ REDUX
Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts has been expanding

with striking new properties while quietly undergoing
strategic facelifts across the globe. The results are
nothing short of dazzling.
Set amidst beautifully landscaped gardens, gurgling fountains and Venetian-inspired buildings,
the new Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal
offers a luxury beach resort experience minutes
away from the city center and just a 25-minute
drive from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Designed by Remedios Design Studio, the RitzCarlton Kyoto features 134 guest rooms and
suites, most with breathtaking views of the
Kamogawa river and the Higashiyama mountains.
wo decades ago, luxury travellers yearned

for elegance, tradition, and familiarity. A
Ritz-Carlton customer in the 90s could
expect the brands trademark Europeanstyle glamour and luxury whether they were
in Boston, Buckhead, Bal Harbor, or Beijing. Fast-forward 20 years and luxury
travellers have a decidedly different take on things. Our clients
today are after authentic experiences, relates Ritz-Carlton Marketing Director Steven Holt. They want to discover their destinations
and they want the hotels that they stay in to reflect a distinct sense of
place. To that end, Ritz-Carlton has been creating unique new
hotels and resorts and giving existing ones top-to-toe multi-milliondollar makeovers with the mandate of authenticity in mind. Over
the past decade, the company has welcomed a staggering 50 new,
renovated, or refurbished hotels into its growing global portfolio.
Spectacular properties in Tianjin and Macau brought the luxury
brands number of hotels in China to eleven; the opulent RitzCarlton hotels in Almaty, Herzliya, and Bangalore marked the
brands entry into Israel, Kazakhstan, and India; and the barefoot
luxury experiences in Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico, and Bali were
milestones in casually chic and elegant design execution, driven by
extensive global customer research.
Here we take a look at three marvelous Ritz-Carlton properties
in Kyoto, Abu Dhabi, and Barcelona that exemplify this fresh new
design outlook. Some of the worlds top architects and designers
have been enlisted for these ambitious design challenges.
At the newly opened Ritz-Carlton Resort Kyoto, the very chic
The Otak design firm melded an intriguing

combination of Venetian and Arabian artistry
throughout the 57-acre Ritz-Carlton
Abu Dhabi Grand Canal Resort.
The lobby at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto exemplifies

the painstaking attention to detail that the Remedios design team paid to the furnishings, textiles,
and intricate lighting throughout the hotel.
The Club Lounge at the Ritz-Calrton

Abu Dhabi Grand Canal is a decidedly sleek
space with a contemporary Italian flair.
contemporary interiors serve to serenely frame the views of Kamogawa River and the Higashiyama Mountains. The location of the
hotel has been prized by the Japanese since the Edo period (1603
1867) when the citys aristocrats and nobles lived in stately homes
and palaces along these banks. In homage to the history of the
hotels esteemed location, the award-winning interior design teams
of Peter Remedios and Spin Studios sought to retain the character
and aesthetic of a traditional Meiji house and courtyard. They
incorporated patterned motifs created by local artisans, Zen rock
gardens (karesansui), and water features, including a four-story
waterfall positioned in the heart of the hotel. Sleek woodwork,
metalwork, embroidered silks and linens, and woven materials offer
a textural bonanza. Design aficionados will swoon at the details.
And then theres the art. The inspiration for the propertys
extensive art collection is The Tale of Genji, the classic novel written by Murasaki Shikibu in the 11th century. In the public areas,
the design is a modern interpretation of residences of the era.
Eighty artists, mainly Kyotos local artists, have created a total of
409 works interpreting the delicate, graceful sentiment of Genjis
time for the contemporary world under the guidance of Remedios.
Nearly 8,000 miles away, Ritz-Carlton has unveiled The Abu
Dhabi Grand Canal, one of the first in an array of new luxury
hotels planned for the thriving area. The multidisciplinary design
firm Otak International was the creative force behind the eclectic
architecture of the resort property. Pivoting on the resorts unique
location along the sandy shores of the historic Al Maqta creek, the
design concept is infused with the elements of traditional 15th- to
Architect Frank Gehrys

soaring Fish sculpture
dominates the skyline at
the Ritz Carltons Hotel
Arts Barcelona.
early 17th-century Renaissance architecture and the urban planning of the city of Venice.
The Otak design team struck a fascinating balance between
European classicism and the rolling Arabian Desert landscape. The
Italian theme is seen in everything from Murano glass accents
adorning the grand staircase of the lobby to the swirls of a Venetian
gate etched into the marble floors. The 57-acre resorts grand lobby
includes spectacular floor-to-ceiling glass panels that channel sunlight through to the 21,000 shimmering crystals that make up three
Interior designer Jaime Tesseras remarkable apartment at the Hotel Arts Barcelona exudes a quiet
luxury. The finest materials and sumptuous textures
are all wrought in soothing natural tones so as
not to compete with the stunning views.
striking chandeliers that dominate the space. Otak also weaved

Arabesque motifs and signature marble floral designs into the fabric
of the resort architecture. Seen throughout the property are botanical swirls, vines, and flowers inlaid within marble floors, while the
wood inlays on the elevator wall panels and on guestroom doors are
of acanthus leaf designs inspired by Italian craftsmen.
The soft ochre-colored faade overlooking the swimming pool
stands in sharp contrast to the saturated greens of the Arabian gardens comprised of mature date palm trees and local flora. At sunset,
looking up at the striking building from the pool garden is when
the best aspects of Venetian architecture come into play.
Nearly 4,000 miles to the West, Ritz-Carltons show-stopping
Hotel Arts Barcelona has quickly become a darling of the design
world. Bruce Graham, Senior Partner at Skidmore, Owings &
Merrill, helmed the team creating this 44-story masterpiece. The
building features gleaming sheets of glass encased by a steel
exoskeleton. It stands as a beacon of renaissance for the citys longneglected waterfront.
Graham worked in concert with legendary architect Frank
Gehry whose Fish sculpture floats over an adjacent retail court
that was designed to provide a waterfront landmark. The sculpture
provides an abstract foreground element when viewed from the
hotel terraces, and is a shading/enclosing device for the retail court
below. Grahams language of stone base and steel exoskeleton is
meant to complement and strengthen the tower and its presence, as
well as create a much stronger public space that fits beautifully with
the tower/hotel functions. The trellis pattern evolved to a wave
form and slowly became what it isan abstract flying fish. The
structure of the sculpture is made from the same exoskeleton as
Hotel Arts, but is clad with a new material to separate it from the
rest of the project. Bronze color-dipped stainless steel catches the
sunlight and creates a presence that holds its own with the tower
but never dominates it so that the tower always remains the dominant element.
For the interiors of the Hotel Arts, the well-known Catalan
design team CGA, founded by Josep Juanpere and Antonio Puig,
and interior designer Jaime Tressera created environments that are
at once lavish and restrained using exclusive pieces from Tresseras
own line of furniture, lighting, carpets, and accessories. Tresseras
signature material is Spanish white walnut. Here, he manipulates
the wood with a variety of hand-applied natural varnishes. Other
exotic woods are used for accent inlays in the furniture and for
architectural elements such as doors and room-defining screens.
Brass, finished in silver or chrome, is employed for fittings and hardware. Upholstery materials are generally confined to pigskin suede
and natural cotton in off-white colorations. This painstaking detail
and focus on elegant materials and expert craftsmanship is appropriate for a city with a decidedly progressive attitude toward design.
These three hotels are exciting examples of the Ritz-Carlton
brands dedication to meeting todays discerning travellers needs.
Notes Holt, Todays sophisticated and trend-conscious hotel
guests take pleasure from savoring the very latest discoveries ahead
of the crowdin hotels just as much as in the worlds of art and
fashion. Ritz-Carlton is delivering in spades.
IN MARIN COUNTY:
ANODE TO GREY
Designer Ann Lowengart created elegant new interiors with

artful lighting, chic woven textiles, and thirty shades of grey.
BY DIANE DORRANS SAEKS
nn Lowengart is admired for creating

highly original color schemes for her
clients throughout Northern California. But for a recently completed project she rose to the challenge of working
in a low-key hue, juxtaposing muted
tones of gray in principal rooms. The
result: chic classic interiors with a timeless, tranquil feeling.
Grey is the new neutral, and I love the way it updates todays
interiors, notes Lowengart, whose firm was commissioned by a
family with three young children to outfit their new Tiburon hillside house. The designers brief was to decorate turn-key interiors
complete with all furnishings, a custom-designed kitchen, a fully-
stocked pantry, bedrooms, family rooms, childrens rooms, a gym,

and curated photography and art collections.
The house, in the gracious classic shingled Hamptons style,
has beautifully sunlit rooms, elegant proportions, and a relaxed
mood. Grey is versatile, and its softer than pure white with a
more modern family-friendly edge, says Lowengart.
Her harmonious color palette ranged from the palest dove
gray and soft blue-gray in the living room, to very rich charcoal
and muted silver as accents, with shimmering metallic tones and
bronze and white-gold finishes for the custom-crafted furniture.
With her soothing grey wash of color as the background,
Lowengart gave each room dramatic, one-of-a-kind light fixtures.
In the breakfast room, a globe-shaped twig chandelier by
While working with such a restrained color palette, Lowengart made sure to play up textures to add interest. In the living room (left) she mixed silk and
wool velvets with raw wood accents like the chandelier, sleek metals and gleaming glass. The dining room, too, features marvelous textures from the
raw beauty of a live edge table to the undulating surface of the highly stylized credenza.
San Francisco artist Shirley Robinson hovers over a made-tomeasure table. In the dining room, a chandelier with a cluster of
eight hand-blown glass orbs was custom made by Philadelphia
artist John Pomp. Another theme was bringing the beauty of
nature inside, points out Lowengart. Her plan was interpreted
with a light touch.
The large-scale satin finish walnut dining table, by Urban
Hardwoods, was made using hand-selected timber from a fallen
tree. The dramatic reverse-matched tabletop has a natural unfinished live edge. A sculptural cast bronze base was crafted in a specialist workshop in Oakland.
In the living room, wallpaper by Trove, with a muted pattern
of tree silhouettes, frames a bold chandelier sculpted to look like
tree branches and twigs. Swarovski crystals glimmer among
small, concealed lightbulbs.
Her focus on natural materials included gray honed marble
for countertops, jute carpets, natural wool rugs and pillows, pure
cotton bed linens, silk curtains, marbleized patterns for wallpaper,
and a white-gold burnished finish on a coffee table for a spark
of glamour.
The effect is tranquil, controlled, cohesive, and balanced. The
family was wonderfully inspiring to work with, and the interiors
are a reflection of their dreams and enthusiasm, says Lowengart.
They were involved every step of the wayincluding selecting
woods, visiting art studios, and encouraging specialist craftspeople to experiment and invent new finishes and original sculptural
lighting.
The familys immersion in the project was balanced by
Lowengarts professional polish and precision. The result is an
exuberant family home, a place for repose and inspiration. And
with the designers orchestration of grey as background, theres
never a dull moment.
The home has incredible views of San Francisco and the Bay, notes Lowengart. We made sure to keep the interiors simple to let the views take center
stage, but also to be inviting and luxurious. The kitchen (above left) features a cozy curved banquette, perfect, says Lowengart, for lingering over coffee in the morning. A sleek home office (below left) is wrought in shades of white and the master bedroom (below) is a serene space in varying shades of
ivory and taupe with floor-to-ceiling drapes and custom shades that open to Tiburons abundant sunshine.
A GENTRY PROMOTION
ALL
ABOUT
Ah, how we love our homes.
And even more, we love planning the next project on that home,
whether it be something substantial like replacing all the windows
or redoing a special room. In approaching such projects, knowledge
is key, and so we have enlisted some of our professional clients
to support those efforts. The following categories will help you learn
all about some subjects that you might be considering right this
very moment, or, if not right now, in the near future.
Enjoy learning more!
ALL
ABOUT
The Miele Combi-Steam Oven

Combining moisture, heat, and airflow in a symbiosis of convection and steam cooking, the Miele
Combi-Steam Oven can do just about anything. Home chefs have the tools to produce bakery-quality
breads, rotisserie-crisp yet moist poultry, pizzeria-fresh re-heated pizza, and yes, the quickest and
healthiest three-pot meal, all in one oven. Gentry Home caught up with the professionals at the Miele
Direct Seller showroom located in University Electric to find out why commercial chefs and home
cooks find this product invaluable.
ITS ONE SMART OVEN
The fully-automated oven knows the best combo

of steam and heat to produce ideal results based
on the moisture content of the food. The display and control panel is streamlined and easy to use. The control
knob and buttons are used to set the cooking modes and
access all of the features of your convection steam oven
for exceptional results. With the capability to program and
save your cooking preferences, baking your moms
lasagna has never been easier.
GOOD FOR THE BODY IS GREAT

FOR THE FAMILY
Cooking with steam preserves the nutrients,

vitamins, and minerals of foods while maintaining the
texture and natural flavors. Steam keeps foods moist,
and provides ideal results without using oil or fat. Less
becomes so much more.
VERSATILITY
Mieles Master Chef Combi-Steam Oven is ideal

for all types of foodbrowning roasted meats
and baking breads. This single appliance does the work of
several appliances, featuring a wide range of desired
results. Convection with 12 cooking modes: steam, reheat,
auto steam bake, convection, convection humid, convection steam, Miele Master Chef, slow roast, recipes, keep
warm, descale, and cleanse.
SAVE TIME AND ENERGY
Convenient, quick, and easy to clean. No need to

preheat. Pull together the ingredients, and dinner
is ready in under fifteen minutes. Eliminate the oil, smoke,
and mess that accompanies most meals, and keep your
kitchen clean. By cooking multiple layers of food from one
heat source, home chefs are able to maximize energy and
time savings while enjoying superior results.
REJUVENATE IN REHEAT MODE
Want to bring leftover foods, cooked chicken,

cold pizza, or rock-hard bread back from the
brink? With a genius combination of steam and browning, food comes all the way back to fresh like nothing we
have ever seen. Leftovers are now a delicious option!
The only Range

sophisticated
enough to be a Miele.
Allow the Miele Range to guide you to
extraordinary culinary adventures. Only through
Mieles intuitive functionality and impeccable
design, can the sanctuary of your kitchen
become a world of exploration night after night.
1500 Martin Avenue, Santa Clara, CA

800.681.0508 universityelectric.com
Hours: Tues., Wed. and Fri., 8:30am-5:30pm; Thurs., 8:30am-8:00pm; Sat., 9:00am-5:00pm; Closed Sunday and Monday
ALL
ABOUT
Crystal Cabinet Works

Crystal Cabinet Works is one of the largest custom cabinet manufacturers in the U.S.A.
Family owned since 1947, they still build cabinets one at a time with personalized looks
and a quality and uniqueness that is totally yours.
CUSTOM PERSONALIZED STYLE
Everyone deserves a custom kitchen! Customizing

cabinets is the ability to make some of your cabinets a special size or configuration so the design and fit is
as it should be. With Crystal Cabinets Keyline and Encore
product series we use a unique approach to make sure
there are no limitations on how the products can be customized to meet your needs.
DESIGN AND LOOK YOU WANT
The quality of the design is the major factor in

any enduring product. The last thing you want is
quality custom cabinetry with a poorly designed kitchen.
Ingenuity and functionality are key. When you are working with the design professional at an independent
Crystal dealership, you are working with some of the
most qualified designers in the industry.
QUALITY IS AN INVESTMENT
Many studies have shown that your best return is

investing in quality for your kitchen or bath. With
Crystal Cabinetry you can consider that quality is a given!
They have been carrying on the tradition of handcrafted
quality for over 60 years. Crystals policy is to exceed
clients expectations, and to provide the best service and
dedication for delivering the finest materials to the customers. And all of this is backed up with their Made in the
U.S.A. Limited Lifetime Warranty.
UNIQUENESS
Crystal is a family-owned company and since

1947 has been building every kitchen and bath
one at a time. Crystal Cabinetry Works approach to providing custom cabinetry is unparalleled in the industry. By
providing a menu of options, any process becomes easier
for clients. There are many options for choosing a price
point based on design, door style, wood and/or finish.
FINISHING
Crystals exclusive hand wiped finish is a multistep process that has been developed over
many years. Each coat is applied by the skilled experts
and is done so until every cabinet reaches fine furniture
quality. This process creates a very rich, smooth, and
durable finish with exceptional scratch and scuff resistance. In Addition to an extensive collection of standard
finishes, Crystal also offers custom finishes to create the
exact look you want.
TBS Construction is a full-service general construction company located in Santa Clara, California.
We specialize in design-build residential services. Whether you're looking for a kitchen remodel, a
bathroom overhaul, or new home construction, we are excited about making your dreams come
true. Our experienced designers, architects, and project managers spend as much time on design as
they do on building. We will plan, design, and build all of your construction and remodeling projects.
Our full-service approach takes the stress out of the building process clients can be hands-off and
still be confident that project will be completed on-time and to the highest standards.
www.tbsconstruction.com 650.466.7777 info@tbsconstructions.com CA Lic. #903870
ALL
ABOUT
Fine Home Painting

When you hire E. Perez and Company, you can count on an exceptional experience and results that
dazzle. Eddie Perez founded the company more than a decade ago. Today, Perez and Company has
more than 20 loyal experts working on projects continuously all over the Bay Area. Perez specializes in
painting homes, but their expertise extends to drywall and plaster repair. Their commercial painting
services include exteriors, as well as custom finishes for office, restaurants, and retail spaces. Gentry
Home asks Eddie Perez about what makes his painting services the most sought after in town.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Perez & Company is known for exceptional quality

and attention to detail. We paint interiors and exteriors, including wood refinishing and restoration of both
commercial and residential spaces. Surfaces are always
carefully prepped and surrounding areas are covered properly. We safely address environmental issues and protect
your property. Youll never see drips, or dust, or damage.
EXPERT PAINTERS
Our knowledgeable team of painters has been

part of the family for more than a decade.
Together, we ensure excellent results and customer
satisfaction for a wide range of jobs, both interior and
exterior. We never jeopardize quality. You can expect the
most talented professionals to bring the right equipment,
do extensive prep work, and do an expert job for a
long-lasting finish.
UNDERSTANDING THE TASK AT HAND
The act of accurately assessing what a space

needs is the single most important step. There
are many qualified crafts people out there to do the work,
but the vital question of what kind of work should be
done is often ignored. Complete refinishing or cleaning,
perfect color blending, and replacement are all options
to be considered. We enjoy the education process, for ourselves and for our customers, as we master any project on
any surface.
YOUR EXACT COLOR
We use many of the top brands of paint and

suggest the best paint for the application, but if
you have a preferred brand, we can use that as well. We
will also consult on the most appropriate finish and color
for a rooms walls and/or trim. We follow the customers
lead when it comes to color. Years of experience with
color selection enables us to custom mix our own stains
and glazes to meet the customers specific requirements,
ensuring the finest quality and craftsmanship. We
genuinely enjoy the process of collaborating with the
customer to create and generate your dream color.
SATISFACTION
We hold our team to the highest standards of

excellence with the goal of meeting and exceeding our customers goals and expectations. We emphasize
expert preparation and high-quality materials applied with
time-tested techniques. We try our best to accommodate
any special needs for each of our customers.
Beautify Your Home with E. Perez & Company

Our quality preparation and skilled application along with premium materials
make all the difference in beautifying your home making it look its best.
E. Perez & Company Painters

specialize in painting homes.
This is where our hard work and attention to
detail differentiates us from other painters.
We paint interiors and exteriors, including
wood refinishing, restoration, commercial,
and residential spaces. Our expertise is also
in drywall and plaster repair. Our commercial
painting services include exteriors, as well as
custom interior finishes for offices, restaurants,
and retail spaces. In addition, we do tenant
improvements, complete exteriors, small to
mid size buildings, or shopping centers.
Please browse our website to learn about how
we work, the products we use, and what our
customers have to say about us. Find out how
we safely address environmental issues, who
we are, and how we go about being one
of the best painting companies in the
Bay Area. E. Perez & Company.
Contact us for a Free Estimate at 650.363.5904 or info@eperezpainting.com
www.eperezpainting.com
ALL
ABOUT
Quality Tree Care

Johnathan Turner knows trees. In fact, members of Turners family have been in the
arborist profession for 250 years. We can trace our roots back to men in the family in
England who were lumberjacks, he relates. Today, Johnathan and his father, Charlie are
partners in Natural Arbor Care, providing expert services on the Peninsula and in Silicon
Valley. Gentry Home speaks with Turner about the need for quality tree care.
EXPERTISE
This will be my 39th year in the business. Clients

like Villa Montalvo, Stanford University, and
numerous golf courses, including the links in Half Moon
Bay, entrust their trees to Natural Arbor Care. We have
three certified arborists on staff and some of the best
tree climbers in the business. We truly care for trees and
dont butcher them.
PRUNING AND FEEDING
Natural Arbor Cares ISA certified arborists will

examine your trees and recommend care from
proper pruning and thinning to allow more light into your
garden and improve the health of the tree to Natural
Arbor Cares exclusive feeding system that improves the
trees immune system, enabling it to better fight disease
and pests.
ORNAMENTALS AND FRUIT TREES
Ornamental trees and fruit trees require expertise

in order to bloom and produce fruit properly. Natural Arbor Cares team specializes in understanding the
needs of these special trees and will create a plan for
pruning them at precisely the right time.
DROUGHT CARE
Because of the past four years of drought, trees

are in need of pruning and maintenance more
than ever. The early spring is the best time to prune, given
the recent rains. If Mother Nature has caused damage to
your trees, Natural Arbor Care offers 24 Hour Emergency
services. We also offer cabling/bracing, utiliy clearance,
tree transplant, and tree and stump removal services.
QUALITY
We are dedicated to our customers and

employee-owners. Were fully insured and have
a company focus on earning accreditation and certification for our arborists and tree climbers. At Natural Arbor
Care, our goal is to provide quality care for your trees so
that they can provide a lifetimes worth of enjoyment.
ALL
ABOUT
Wood Renewal
The expert team at N-HANCE Wood Renewal specializes in one-day wood refinishing. Yes, you did read
that correctly. The N-Hance Wood Renewal team utilizes the cutting edge N-Hance line of products to
preserve wood floors and cabinetry without the need for messy and time-consuming sanding. Gentry
Home caught up with General Manager Dave Lantow about the N-Hance process.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVATION
Our specialty is the preservation of your interior

wood. Never before has the preservation of our
floors, cabinets and wood trim been more important.
Not only is wood a precious natural resource, but also the
maintenance of it represents one of the greatest costs in
the ownership of a home or business. With that in mind,
we at N-Hance want to help you treasure what is yours
with simple and clean solutions.
ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS
Our products are formulated and manufactured

in the United States and our process is environmentally friendly. N-Hance products are all designed
with low VOCs (non-toxic) and many jobs can be completed in one day, dust and odor free. Theres no longer
any reason to wait to renew that beautiful wood in your
home or business.
HOW IT WORKS
Our renewal process thoroughly cleans the

surface of the floor and repairs damaged areas.
After we burnish the floor we apply our proprietary
N-Hance finishes that are custom matched to meet your
desired floor color. The finishes are high-tech and able
to bond with what remains of your floor or cabinets
existing finish.
CABINETRY RENEWAL
While floor renewal typically can be done in one

day, kitchen cabinetry renewal takes between
1 5 days, depending on the service chosen. With a basic
renewal the cabinet doors are treated in place. For a color
shift and color change they are removed, treated, and
finished, and cabinet surrounds are treated and finished
in place. Once dry, the doors are reinstalled. Renewal can
simply refresh the look of the cabinet by keeping it the
same color or clients can opt for a color shift (slightly
warming the tone of the wood, but not removing the
grain). If clients want a complete color change that is
possible as well.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
We understand that service is only part of a

great relationship. N-Hance Wood Renewal is
an N-Hance award-winning, locally owned and operated
dealership. Our aim is to establish a long-term relationship with you by providing easy access, education,
great customer service and knowledgeable consultants
who will advise you on your unique project. If we earn
your business, our trained technicians will serve you
with excellence.
AFTER
BEFORE
REVOLUTIONARY WOOD RENEWAL

No Dust, No Mess, No Odor
CABINET OPTIONS:
Basic Renewal requires no color shift or color change. It restores
the shine and luster to the wood and usually takes just one day.
Color Shift slightly warms the tone of the wood without covering
the wood grain. Typically takes 2 3 days.
Color Change on cabinets will dramatically alter the color of the
wood, either a much darker wood color or going to an opaque color
that is lighter. Takes 3 5 days.
FLOORS:
Basic Renewal to restore the visible signs of wear.
Serving San Francisco & San Mateo Counties
Serving Santa Clara County, Berkeley & the East Bay Hills
www.sfwoodrenewal.com
415.294.7795
www.nhance.com/siliconvalley
855.728.7157
License #925392
www.sfwoodrenewal.com
Independently Owned & Operated
License #693344
www.nhance.com/siliconvalley
ALL
ABOUT
Cast Stone
Expert stonemasons Gary Edwards and Barry Tripp, owners of Millbrook Stone in Los Gatos,
learned their craft in their native England by apprenticing with some of the finest master masons
in the country. In the late 80s they were flown to California to ply their craft carving stone for a
private South Bay estate. They joined forces and opened Millbrook Stone in 1993. Gentry Home
catches up with Gary and Barry to discuss their craft.
CASTLES AND ABBEYS
At the early age of 16, both Gary Edwards and

Barry Tripp had found their calling. They lived in the
small English town of Longburton and both knew that
they wanted to work with their hands. They studied
masonry at prestigious Weymouth College and were soon
hired to work on the restoration of some of Great Britains
most historic buildings. That hard-earned expertise has
made their work sought after by some of the best builders
and architects in Northern California.
ENDURING ARTISTRY
For the past 30+ years, Millbrook Stone has

been crafting exquisite fireplace mantels,
ballustrades, columns, window and door surrounds, and
more. Each piece is crafted of cast stone which, when
finished, has the strength, durability, and characteristics
of English and French limestone.
FIREPLACES TO GRAND ESTATES
Whether its a 40,000 square foot mansion in

Hillsborough or a single fireplace surround, we
will take on the project with the same care and professionalism. We take ownership of each project from start to finish and employ only the most highly skilled professionals
to install the final products and make any necessary
adjustments on-site. From a simple garden fountain to a
series of surrounds and columns, you can be confident
that the installation of your particular piece will be handled
with precision and care.
JUST FOR YOU
Customers and interior designers often find

inspiration in Millbrook Stones marvelous downtown Los Gatos showroom, and can sit down with a
designer to create the fireplace, kitchen hood, or columns
of their dreams. Each custom design is drawn by hand to
meticulous detail in time-honored fashion.
ARRIVING SOON
This spring, Millbrook will showcase a collection

of natural stone planters, benches, fountains,
statuary, and fireplaces.
Millbrook Stone Inc.
Providing exceptional handcrafted stonework for your home & garden

Millbrook Stone did an absolutely beautiful job designing and installing a fireplace in my master bedroom. They are first-rate
all the way: totally professional and so kindand the finished product is gorgeouseven better than I could have imagined.
They are the best in the business! Client
We invite you to our new store in beautiful downtown Los Gatos

32 East Main Street, Los Gatos, CA 95030 408.399.3444 www.millbrookstone.com info@millbrookstone.com
Tuesday Saturday 10:30 to 5:00 Closed Sunday & Monday
ALL
ABOUT
Closets and Home Storage

With more than 35 years of experience and innovation within the home storage category, California
Closets is known for creating beautifully crafted custom solutions for all areas of the home. Through
intuitive design, superior products, and a commitment to delivering exemplary customer service, their
expertise allows them to create organizational solutions that clients will useand lovefor years to
come. Gentry Home catches up with the California Closets team to discover what goes into creating
the perfect storage solution.
ITS ALL ABOUT YOU
The team at California Closets has storage solutions for much more that clothes, shoes, and
accessories. The storage systems can turn family rooms
into clutter-free zones, home offices into beautiful multitasking spaces, guest rooms into dual purpose spots, and
entry halls into organized, functional spaces for the
whole family.
At California Closets were committed to solving

your unique storage needs by designing systems
that suit your aesthetic preferences and lifestyle, seamlessly blending functionality with personalized details.
BEYOND CLOSETS
STREAMLINING YOUR CLOSET
When organizing your closet space, create three

piles of clothing: one for the items that will stay,
another for items to donate (anything out of style or that
doesnt fit), and a third for items that are stained or in disrepair that should be thrown away. Make sure to create sightlines. You dont wear what you dont see. Fold sweaters and
shirts and stack them on shelves so that youre reminded of
what you have. Group clothing types together (place shirts
with shirts and pants with pants) so that finding what you
need is easier. Use drawers or containers to store items
such as socks, workout gear, and scarves.
TAME THE TECHNOLOGY
2016 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated. CA Lic.# 875172
Turn your family room/media room into an elegant space free of unsightly cables and wires.
Our team installs electrical access within your system to
hide all cords and cables behind the cabinetry. We can
conceal large electronics with sliding doors allowing you
to cover your flat-screen television and other electronics
when not in use. We can also outfit a media center with
both closed and open storage. Closed storage is ideal for
hiding smaller equipment, while open areas offer space
for displays.
THINK MULTI-PURPOSE
You really can have it all. With clever planning,

a guest room can double as a home office. We
can maximize space by incorporating a wall bed and
keep your desk clutter-free by creating individual files for
items that require your review, such as bills, insurance,
taxes and receipts. Thoughtful solutions like placing your
printer in a cabinet with a slide-out shelf to provide quick
access and the option to tuck it away when not in use
will keep the space streamlined.
Your home is a sanctuary and should be as beautiful as you can imagine. Let California Closets design a custom system
just for you and the way you live, and help make your dream home a reality with our exclusive materials and exceptional designs.
Visit our showroom or call us today to arrange your complimentary design consultation.
916.751.3171
BERKELEY
CARMEL
ROSEVILLE
californiaclosets.com
FRESNO
LARKSPUR
SAN FRANCISCO
LOS ALTOS
WALNUT CREEK
LOS GATOS
compendium
ART
EXHIBITIONS,
OPENINGS,
& DESIGN
EVENTS
MARCH APRIL 2016
THROUGH MAY 16
Pierre Bonnard: Painting Arcadia

This is the first international presentation
of Pierre Bonnards work to be mounted
on the West Coast in half a century. The
exhibition will feature approximately 75
works that span the artists complete career,
from his early Nabi masterpieces, through
his experimental photography, to the late
interior scenes for which he is best known.
The exhibition celebrates Bonnard

(French, 18671947) as one of the defining figures of modernism in the transitional period between Impressionism and
abstraction. Several themes from Bonnards career will emerge, including the
artists great decorative commissions where
the natural world merges with the bright
colors and light of the South of France,
where windows link interior and exterior
spaces, and where intimate scenes disclose
unexpected phantasmagorical effects.
Legion of Honor, San Francisco
www.legionofhonor.famsf.org
May 14
SFMOMA re-Opens!
www.sfmoma.org
May 16
The Modern Ball

Kick up your heels and sneak a peek at the
newly renovated San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art. The museums homecoming
RinatArt.com | gorenrinat@gmail.com
soire is your chance to see inside the

expanded SFMOMA as you eat, drink,
and dance the night away.
The Modern Ball 2016, chaired by
Gina Peterson and designed by Stanlee
Gatti, offers three extraordinary experiences, all celebrating the museums return
home. Partake in the glamorous Gala Dinner, an exquisite seated dinner paired with
a thrilling live auction featuring work by
Mark Bradford. Get your fill with fellow
art aficionados at The Supper Club, where
you and your friends will mix and mingle
in a chic lounge filled with culinary stations,
flowing libations, and toe-tapping music.
Put on your dancing shoes for The PostModern Party, where youll sip on cocktails
and get down late into the night with headline entertainment you wont want to miss.
Proceeds support SFMOMAs innovative exhibitions and education programs, which serve more than 60,000
students, teachers, and families each year.
www.sfmoma.org
IN THIS ISSUE
Stockists, showrooms, architects, designers,

and photographers for this issue.
MY LIFE, PAGE 26
Brian Koch, Landscape Architect
Terra Ferma
South San Francisco
www.tflandscapes.com
Photographer
Adrian Mendoza
Adrian Mendoza Photography
Santa Rosa
DESTINATION DESIGN, PAGE 28
Cheryl Rowley
Cheryl Rowley Design
Beverly Hills Vancouver
www.cherylrowleydesign.com
The Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace
St. Petersburg, Russia
www.fourseasons.com
OUTDOOR LIVING, PAGE 34

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Barbeque grill, pizza ovens,
refrigeration, and accessories,
all available through:
Atherton Appliance & Kitchens
Redwood City
650.369.1794
www.athertonappliance.com
RITZ REDUX, PAGE 52

Ritz-Carlton Resort Kyoto
Ritz-Carltons Abu Dhabi Grand
Canal Resort
Ritz-Carltons Hotel Arts Barcelona
www.ritzcarlton.com
Topiary Design
Sarah Jones Interior Design

Reno
www.sarahjonesinteriordesign.com QUINTESSENCE, PAGE 82
Betty P. Lee
topiary@hotmail.com
CALIFORNIA COOL, PAGE 38
Architects
SWATT/MIERS
Emeryville
www.swattmiers.com
Redecorating?
Contractor
Crestwood Construction
Truckee
www.crestwoodconstruction.com
AN ODE TO GREY, PAGE 58
Interiors
MODERN DAY CHALET, PAGE 46

Interiors
Ann Lowengart Interiors

San Anselmo
www.annlowengart.com
Architecture
Interiors
Clare Walton
Walton Architecture + Engineering
Tahoe City
www.waltonae.com
Annalisa Avelar
A.L. Interiors
Los Gatos
www.alinteriorsdesignstudio.com
Donation Hotline
650.847.4000
FREE DONATION PICK-UP
Your tax-deductible donation to the ReStore helps hard-working families in the San Francisco Bay Area.
1411 Industrial Road
San Carlos, CA 94070
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am to 5pm
www.habitatgsf.org/restore
quintessence
FRESH FOCUS
Silicon Valley-based interior designer Annalisa Avelar is in high demand

for fresh spaces and a contemporary aesthetic.
GENTRY HOME: Which Design icon inspires you most?
Annalisa Avelar: Carlo Scarpa is my favorite architect of all time.
Studying his work opened me up to using shapes and textures to
achieve rhythm and solve problems in the spaces I design. His
understanding of light, the flawless way he combined materials,
and his avant-garde ideas on detailing still have me in awe.
your weekly flower pick. (5) Texture. A great space has a balanced variety of texture. Surfaces and upholstery should have variety, so play around with wood, metal, stone, and different fabric
weaves to strike a balance. I often use a metal coffee table to break
up texture that is feeling too soft, or an area rug with a thick pile if
things are feeling too flat.
GH: What are five key elements to a great space?

AA: (1) Lighting. Your overall (ambient) lighting is your base,
and that should be layered with task and accent lighting. Task
lighting (reading lamps, sconces at the bath vanity, etc.) is essential for comfort, and accent lighting (lighting that showcases art,
bookcases, etc.) creates depth and interest. (2) Art. Whether its
an object you picked up on your last travelling adventure, a painting you fell in love with at an art show, or a portrait you found at an
antique shopstart collecting pieces that speak to you and display
them. It adds character like nothing else. (3) Custom Window
Treatments. These make a world of difference and anchor your
space. There is nothing that kills a room like a bowing drapery
rod or improperly sized drapery panels. If you are nervous about
committing to a color or a pattern, pick linen or raw silk in a
neutral color. It will be timeless. (4) Fresh Flowers
and/or Live Plants. Fresh flowers in a interesting
vase or live plants (I prefer orchids) in a beautiful
container. Every week I replace the flowers in my
home and in our design studio. Flowers add a
sense of beauty to every design style. Start collecting interesting vases and containers for plants and
flowers and have fun coordinating vases with
GH: No room should be without?

AA: Something quirky and or silly! I have a beautifully framed
black and white photo of Lucy (from the I Love Lucy show) in
my entry. Shes wearing a Superman costume and about to jump
out of a window and it makes me smile every time I look at it.
GH: Exciting recent find?

AA: On a recent trip to New York, I visited a small Design
Showroom called Studio Four, and found some amazing wallpaper lines for a few clients. My favorites were by CAITLIN
MCGAULEY & ANGIE HRANOWSKY. Both lines have
modern patterns with a sense of softness to them, which was
perfect for the families I was shopping for.
GH: Color your obsessing over now?
AA: Black. Nothing is more sophisticated or more
versatile than black. Sherwin Williams has a black
called Caviar that I love to use on interior doors.
GH: Do you have a Mantra?
AA: Choose wisely. Its far better to have three
exceptional pieces than ten mediocre ones.

HEIRLOOM QUALITY
EUROPEAN CRAFTSMANSHIP
AMERICAN HERITAGE
Returning to Palo Alto - Spring 2016

Town & Country Village
650-326-8583
scandiahome.com

Gentry Home (March-April 2016)

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S A N F R A N C I S C O | P E N I N S U L A | S I LI C O N VA LLE Y

MARCH APRIL 2016

The architectural dream team of Robert

46 | Modern Day Chalet

New & Now

Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts has

Fresh Attitude. Runway trends inform

The House of Lions. Since its debut in

Green Thumb. Landscape architect

Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen. Gentry

Designer Ann Lowengart created

The architectural dream team of Robert Swatt

10 GENTRY HOME | March April 2016

New & Now

I vividly recall sitting next to a woman from Germany at an

Stefanie Lingle Beasley, Editorial Director, edit@18media.com

Currey & Company. www.curreycodealers.com

2| Rubelli Venezias Queen Anne upholstery silk,

waves of sand blown by the wind. www.donghia.com

4| The Jules chair by Arflex covered in Donghias

Spritz fabric and Donghias Divan sofa covered in

5| Donghias Geode features a cotton ground with a

satin weave pattern of irregular shapes. www.donghia.com

6| British Designer Tom Faulkners Tiffany chair in

Editorial Director | Stefanie Lingle Beasley

Senior VP/Associate Publisher

Senior VP/Associate Publisher

Vice President/National Accounts | Norene Sheehan

Atlantis Properties provides quality

Chief Financial Officer | Dot Juby

Setting a higher standard.

10 Jackson Street, Suite 107, Los Gatos, CA 95030

1162 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, California 94025

Bring The Outside In With

MARCH APRIL 2016

Currey & Co.s Boho

Oscar de la Rentas Bilbao

Natural textures, hand crafted

Tory Burchs floral mesh

Tory Burchs weaver

20 GENTRY HOME | March April 2016

Tory Burchs Paintery

The Pantone Color Institute selected

Serena & Lilys La Jolla

Valentinos Ballerina flat

22 GENTRY HOME | March April 2016

How the Nicest Homes Stay that Way!

Take Back Your Weekends

I think I must have died

HPS Palo Alto Inc.

Lace tunic ($185) by

New suit, new cover-up, and new

The Rhea metallic

The Clover tunic ($190)

Brown Jordans Suncloth

24 GENTRY HOME | March April 2016

Gentry Home interviews Landscape

What inspired you to go into landscape design and architecture?

and adapts with each site and for each

design impact will not be fully realized. Landscape architecture

28 GENTRY HOME | March April 2016

From the first glimpse of the grand front entrance, guarded by

California designer Cheryl

the city itself. The citys pastel-colored palaces inspired Rowleys