The Symbiosis of Modernity and Tradition in a Peninsula Residence in California

 San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States 

Architecture: Richard Beard Architects

Interior Design: Kelly Hohla Interiors

Photography © Paul Dyer

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A house on a sunny plot offering privacy and open space, nestled among the rolling hills of the peninsula south of San Francisco.

Interior designer Kelly Hohla: “The homeowners’ main concern was always about going too modern and mine was about staying too traditional. I wanted them to have an updated home that feels timeless and that they can grow in—I think we were able to strike the perfect balance.”

Peninsula Residence is defined by a deliberate layering of spaces that transition from public to private, formal to casual. Rooted in classical proportions and materials like stone, cedar, and black steel, the home’s intersecting volumes form a series of terraces and courtyards that connect seamlessly to the landscape, offering shade, privacy, and a strong indoor-outdoor relationship. 

Principal Architect Richard Beard: “The program for the house was quite complicated. It required clever compositional moves to accommodate everything the clients wanted. While designed for easy and casual living on a day-to-day basis, it had to provide a generous entertaining space, office, fitness room, and guest quarters—all while maintaining privacy for everyone.” 

See also: California, Sonoma House: Madrone Ridge by Field Architecture