Check Out A Modern Home In Palo Alto That Redefines Family Ties

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Exterior of a modern home...

When a family decided to build a new home on the site of the husband's childhood house, they went for a modern aesthetic.

Trellises line the courtyard and...

A sheltered courtyard is lined with trellises and plants.

Glass rails and floating treads...

A home in Palo Alto embodies a warm contemporary spirit, carefully cultivated by designer Patricia Del Gavio and architect Donald J. Ruthroff. The streamlined stairway is made with white oak treads by Simmons Stairways and glass rails by Franciscan Glass Company. Hammerton fabricated the custom floating light installation.

Shelves and windows line one...

Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace covers the walls of the luminous great room. Del Gavio designed the sectional and lounge chairs crafted by Cypress Furniture. Built-in shelving by Brown Felicetta Designs fluidly integrates with the limestone fireplace surround fabricated by JB Tile & Stone. Hinkley’s Tryst chandelier adds a touch of glamour to the space.

A dining table is adjacent...

In the kitchen, Industry West chairs and Rove Concepts’ Marcus table are positioned so the family can seamlessly interact with each other while cooking. Bespoke white cabinetry and a Thermador range hood lend the space a light and airy feel. Agnes pendants by Aerin hang above a generous island with a waterfall marble countertop.

Large bifold doors connect the...

Bifold doors open from the great room creating a smooth transition to the pool installed by Parker’s Pool & Spa. Simple details like the concrete walkway interspersed with polished white river stones help to integrate the deck area into the home’s rectilinear structure.

A waterfall starts at the...

The dynamic backyard connects the dwelling to the sauna and home office. Between the two structures is a full-scale entertaining area with a Lynx outdoor grill, a teak dining set by Gloster, and an RH sofa and chairs. A waterfall installed by Parker’s Pool & Spa adds a soothing aural quality to the area.

In the primary bedroom, a...

Overlooking a lush tree canopy, the primary bedroom blurs indoors and out with a large, second-floor deck. A Rove Concepts Mika outdoor sectional and ceramic-and-glass coffee table create a cozy seating area. Inside, Del Gavio added textural warmth to the bed with Schweitzer Linen sheets and a Lamb to Loop throw blanket.

A sculptural tub sits in...

A soothing oasis awaits the couple in the main bathroom. The vanity by Brown Felicetta Designs is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Solitude and features Calacatta Oro marble countertops from Da Vinci Marble. The backsplash is composed of Jeffrey Court tiles. A Jacuzzi freestanding tub anchors the space, while Arteriors’ Augustus sconces and a mirror fabricated by Adam Cardello Fine Arts add metallic accents.

The term “family tree” has special meaning in this Palo Alto abode. With an eye to the future, the owners created their dream dwelling where the husband’s childhood house once stood underneath a towering magnolia tree planted by his parents decades earlier.

Although the couple pictured children playing under the sprawling branches, living in the original 1940s-era residence posed significant practical concerns, such as a functionally obsolete floor plan and low ceilings that forced the 6-foot-8-inch-tall husband to duck his head while climbing the stairs. More fundamentally, they wanted to add their own chapter to the site’s story, one that spoke to their style as the next generation. “We decided to build a new, contemporary home where the old house stood,” says the wife. “There’s something powerful about owning who you are.”

Two kids and seven years later, the completed structure is unapologetically modern, but it’s also intimate and human oriented. Together with designer Patricia Del Gavio, architect Donald J. Ruthroff and general contractor John Suppes, the couple dubbed it the “Luminosa House,” using the Italian word for shining and brilliant. The ensuing design, engineered to infuse a warm, welcoming spirit into the family’s daily life, rings true. “The will to be genuine and organic was our beacon from the beginning,” says Del Gavio of the team’s approach.

Natural illumination is the most prominent feature. “It’s important for light to enter the spaces in as many ways as possible,” explains Ruthroff of his architectural approach. That led to the addition of numerous skylights, clerestory windows and large light wells to make the most of the sunny Peninsula weather. An atrium laced with twining vines “brings life into the house and provides a Zen-like environment” notes Del Gavio. Often serving as an impromptu camping spot for the children, “it lets them experience the outdoors while feeling safe and protected,” she adds. Sunshine also channels through the glass-encased stairwell, where open treads and glass railings ensure that light flows unimpeded through the heart of the house. At night, a dramatic floor-to-ceiling installation of wood-trimmed pendant lights floating along yards of cord brings another kind of inviting glow.

The overall layout pivots toward the environment, cultivating a relaxed indoor-outdoor atmosphere suiting the family’s lifestyle. “The nature of how open our house is feels like an invitation,” notes the wife. Oversize bifold doors connect the central great room to the backyard, where landscape architect Philip vanderToolen took care to preserve the site’s original trees, including the precious magnolia. Now family and friends can casually filter in and out during lazy all-day summer gatherings. More private spaces enjoy the same fluidity. The couple’s bedroom opens to a generous balcony where the children enjoy stargazing and learning the planets’ pathways across the sky. The results are permeable, interconnected spaces where family members never feel too far away from each other.

To reinforce this sense of openness, the interiors feature “a very neutral, soothing palette. Nothing too stark,” says Del Gavio, pointing to the warm white walls and natural oak used for the flooring and window trim, intersecting the omnipresent glass. Accenting the high ceilings are gold metal fixtures that catch the light, like the grand Sputnik-inspired chandelier in the living area.

Although there are sparkling notes of glamour, the home leans toward informality. Activities center around custom furnishings, such as the living area’s large sectional, configured so “all the family members can enjoy curling up together,” notes Del Gavio. In lieu of formal dining, the couple prefers hosting big family meals on the live-edge table, surrounded by chairs in the wife’s favorite blush hue. Throughout, natural wood and organic linens and cottons underscore a sense of relaxed ease. “There’s an effortlessness and efficiency to this house; every space has a function,” observes Ruthroff.

Through years of careful planning and construction, the residence became a poignant vessel of memories for the couple as it developed and grew alongside their family. Their eldest witnessed it all, from the freshly demolished lot to their very first Thanksgiving celebrations in the new dwelling. “There’s something beautiful in creating our own history and future here,” says the wife. “I’m grateful because our home feels like an extension of who we are and how we want to live our lives—open, light and connected.”