Work / Berkeley
Hargrove Residence, Berkeley
A 1958 Roger Lee house in the Berkeley Hills, lived in for nine years, renovated with a preservationist’s restraint, and sold with a Dwell feature. Hand-sawn redwood walls, Heath tile, Ann Sacks bath.
Roger Lee was the Bay Area’s great underappreciated modernist, and the Hargrove Residence was his 1958 commission for concert pianist Jean Gray Hargrove. Christa and Geoff lived in it for nine years.
The renovation was preservation first. Hand-sawn redwood walls stayed. Douglas fir ceilings stayed. Systems, kitchen, and baths were quietly brought to now: Gaggenau, custom mahogany, Heath Ceramics, Ann Sacks. Dwell called it “elegant, graceful, and spare” when it came to market.
This is the project that taught the studio its method: research the architect, protect what matters, modernize the rest, and let the house find its next loving owner.