Mill Valley House · Marin County, CA

A house situated on a hillside lot with views across a steep valley to the South, and Westwards towards Mount Tamalpais. The site is located on a saddle at the edge of a dramatic slope. The buildings are arrayed along the back edge of the site to take advantage of the views and to minimize the impact on the sensitive hillside below. Principle rooms open to the hillside meadow allowing for a strong connection to the natural environment and the ever-changing coastal fog patterns over the hills in the distance.

The pool is located on a private corner of the lot and the outdoor dining pavilion is nestled in adjacent to some neighboring buildings to provide a visual barrier while also capturing views down the valley.  An existing, historically significant, weekend camp cabin was retained and restored as an accessory dwelling unit.

The design of the house is intended to evoke a connection to the client’s love of East Coast domestic architecture while remaining sensitive to its hillside California location.  The interiors convey a crisp simplicity designed to complement, and not compete with, the dramatic location.

Exterior materials include fieldstone walls, stained cedar shingles, painted trim, and slate roofing.  

Photos by Blake Marvyn

General Contractor Gleason Tankard