Classic midcentury modern home receives an extensive makeover

All of the telltale features of a classic midcentury house were there: the clean, geometric lines; extensive use of clerestory windows and walls of glass; and tongue-and-groove wood ceilings, the planking of which extends seamlessly from interior to exterior.

Somewhat shrouded by years of neglect, those features and many more were nonetheless apparent to the pros at Bee Renovated, the firm that rehabbed the residence at 315 Vassar Ave. in Kensington. On the market for $1.185 million, the five-bedroom home just received a complete facelift from the company, which is known for its detailed renovations of vintage properties.

On the market for the first time, the home was built in 1953 for University of California Berkeley Professor Bernard Etcheverry. A civil engineer, Etcheverry was involved with the design of the Greek Theatre, and those familiar with the Berkeley campus will recognize his namesake building, Etcheverry Hall.

The Kensington property has remained in the hands of one Etcheverry family member or another since its completion. And why not? The large, comfortable residence is located on an expansive double lot, situated to allow Golden Gate and bay views through its banks of windows. Those windows, combined with multiple sliding glass doors, help create the indoor-outdoor aesthetic so key to midcentury home design.

In fact, along with the home's history, it was such details that initially attracted Bee Renovated to the project, the company's most recent. Bee Renovated is the innovation of interior designer Sean Gaston Steer and contractor Jim Jewell, who are partners in both business and life.

"The thing that really attracted us was the fact that the house had been built for Bernard Etcheverry, him being an engineer and his connection to Cal Berkeley," Gaston Steer said. "We knew it had to be an architecturally great home.

"Over the years it had gone into disrepair and was neglected. All of the original features were there, though, which is what we love to find. We were able to honor the original architecture and update it for modern lifestyles of today."

For example, Gaston Steer explained, kitchens back then were really functional as opposed to being part of the entertainment aspect of the house. In this case, the kitchen was closed off and located at the back of the home, completely isolated.

"That poor kitchen was hidden back there all by itself, and now it's just open and grand and bright," Gaston Steer said. "It's now part of the party."

Starting with great architecture makes their job easier, according to Gaston Steer. From there, a project's focus is preservation, restoration and updating while maintaining the historical integrity of the original design. To that end, Gaston Steer spent a lot of time finding vintage fixtures and trim pieces to stay true to the period.

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Classic midcentury modern home receives an extensive makeover