Plath & Company has won a Silver Best of the Best Design Award
In the Historic Restoration category

San Rafael, October 1, 2008 - Now in its seventh year, the Best of the Best Design Awards competition recognizes outstanding design, craftsmanship and functionality in remodeling projects across the United States.

The judging panel included remodelers, architects and kitchen and bath designers. Plath & Co. was judged on construction quality, creativity, design/aesthetic appeal and problem solving for the historic home.

The winning home Plath renovated is located in the Presidio Heights district of San Francisco. Originally designed by architect Houghton Sawyer in 1913, the 10,000-square-foot, four-story, unreinforced masonry building needed its entire exterior historically rehabilitated and interior remodeled to bring it back to its Gothic splendor. Carey & Co., a San Francisco based architecture company specializing in historic preservation was asked to provide their expertise to maintain some of the historic aesthetic.

For the exterior portion, Plath contracted with Gladding McBean, who not only worked on the home in 1913, but they were also in possession of the original shop drawings and molds that were used at that time. Removing old terra cotta exposed corroded structural steel, which was replaced as Plath progressed. All the remaining terra cotta pieces were re-glazed afterwards to lessen the contrast between the new and the old. All of the brickwork was re-pointed to bring back the original mortar color.

The garage addition required Plath to temporarily support a quarter of the front of the house during excavation and steel work. This addition allowed the front patio to be extended across the whole width of the façade. A new set of doors and their associated terra cotta were copied from an adjacent opening to allow the family room direct access the new patio.

Landscaping work included new retaining walls and planter beds, two fountains, three fire features, hot tub, BBQ area, new walkways, privacy fences, gates, plants and lighting. Custom bronze castings and assemblies were incorporated in the gates, fountains and fire features.

The interior work included the re-design of 28 rooms in the house with the exception of the laundry room and a 3rd floor guest bathroom. Jeffers Design Group, a San Francisco-based company, used bold color and a masterful mix of modern and antique elements to integrate playfulness with quality. The interior of this grand house was completely transformed from its original look. Highlights of the work include a stenciled, stained wood floor in the entry way, Venetian plaster, a silver leaf ceiling in the dining room, and faux paint finishes throughout the kitchen.

Winning projects are featured in the December issue of Professional Remodeler.



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