Casa Madrona Cottages Now Open

TruexCullins Interiors has been working with the Terra Resort Group on the complete interior renovation of this historic resort in Sausalito, California.  This winter, the Casa Madrona opened their new street-level lobby, expanded and reconfigured to better welcome guests and introduce them to all the rich flavors of the property.  (See photos of the Lobby in our January blog post)

Now, the Casa Madrona is celebrating their next major milestone with the grand opening of the 22 renovated cottage rooms and suites, situated along the hillside overlooking San Francisco Bay.

Previously, each of the individual cottages had been decorated in wildly divergent themes:  an impressive array of styles including the “Renoir Room”, “Lilac and Lace”, “Bridgeway to Hollywood”, and “Kathmandu” (complete with Indian elephants and tribal patterns). While there was certainly never an argument for lack of character, our charge with the renovations was to provide a more consistent overall experience for the guest, no matter what part of the property they were staying in.  At the same time, the design allows for the celebration of the individual moments that occur within each of the uniquely positioned cottages. 

We wanted to refocus attention on the things that really make this resort special: the amazing hillside location with panoramic views of San Francisco Bay; the creative and independent spirit of the community of Sausalito, with its rich nautical history; and the historic significance of the resort itself, anchored by a grand Victorian mansion dating to 1885.

And now we have new photos to share of the completed cottages, thanks to photographer Cameron Neilson:

The beds are a prime feature in the rooms, with mahogany posts and decorative glass inlays.  Each suite also typically includes a casual seating area, a work desk, a fireplace, and an exterior terrace.  Unique elements from the cottages’ previous life such as stained glass windows were retained and integrated into the new design.

The guest bathrooms in each of the 22 cottages are all unique in their size and configuration, but they are each finished with the same palette of materials and finishes.  A glass shelf continues from behind the vanity into the shower, with alternating bands of matte and polished porcelain tile.  The vanities pick up on the seaside influence with nautical pull and rod details, and they are uniquely scaled to fit into each bathroom, maximizing the space available.

All of the guestroom furniture pieces and bathroom vanities are custom designed by TruexCullins Interiors and built by Sorrentino Marriani.  The beds, tables, desks and vanities establish a consistent, coordinated palette that includes mahogany wood with English dove tails, contrasting painted crème surfaces, and clear glass knobs.  It is a classic urban look with a distinctively nautical influence.  You can see the entire “Sausalito Collection” at smfurniture.com

The full-service spa was also completely overhauled with new finishes, furnishings, and lighting.  In this view, one of the showers is visible on the left, and the steam room is on the right, with porcelain tile and LED lighting:

The new Casa Madrona is beginning to attract some good attention.  The popular Bay Area blog 7x7.com was so impressed with the makeover that they recently implored its readers to “Take a Staycation at the Revamped Casa Madrona in Sausalito”.

TruexCullins continues to work with the Terra Resort Group on the remaining Upper Cottages, with construction planned imminently.  And then, we look forward to the grand finale of the renovation project: the 125-year-old Victorian mansion which will be refreshed and renewed as a fitting focal point to the resort.

Bariatrix Nutrition: Before and After

We just completed this workplace renovation project for the offices of Bariatrix Nutrition in Georgia, Vermont.  We started with an empty warehouse building and created a whole new space that is active, crisp and bright.  The project includes a new corporate office suite, product production and development areas, and a large warehousing area for the Bariatrix products.

Bariatrix Nutrition is a family business working to address the rising obesity epidemic in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.  The company produces premium quality food products for professionally managed weight control programs, built on a platform of scientific innovation, research and development.   As the obesity epidemic has grown over the past 30 years, Bartiatrix has expanded their menu of food products and built a program of support to professional weight loss practitioners.  They work with physicians, dieticians, nutritionists and bariatricians to battle this heath issue.

We are always honored to work for clients who are making a positive mark on our world, and we hope their new space facilitates their operations.  The design was led by David Epstein, Matt Wheaton, and Rebekah Bose, and the general contractor for the project was Wright & Morrissey, Inc.

As these before-and-after shots show, it was a quite a dramatic transformation:

BEFORE...
<< entry space

... and AFTER:

reception area >>

 

BEFORE...
<< warehouse space



... and AFTER:

office area >>

Salvage Secrets On Sale Now

Salvage Secrets: Transforming Reclaimed Materials into Design Concepts is the new book by our friend and colleague Joanne Palmisano, with photography by Susan Teare.  The book beautifully showcases vintage, antique, or simply discarded items that are rediscovered and brought back to life in creative and unexpected ways.  It is a wonderful treasure hunt of unique, salvaged materials, and a practical resource for getting you started on your own design project.

We are always happy to work with Joanne, who frequently acts as a designer and marketing consultant for our Interiors department, and Susan Teare, who we often have photograph our own projects.

Here’s a blurb from the new book, published by W.W.Norton & Company, in advance of its release:

Today we all want to build and renovate our homes with sustainability in mind, so it’s no surprise that “salvage”—reusing old building materials and other recycled goods—is an increasingly popular technique, both for its environmentally friendly functionality and its unique design aesthetic...

Salvage Secrets is a resource you won’t want to be without on your search. Here, veteran salvager and designer Joanne Palmisano equips you with a practical guide and conducts you on a stunning visual tour of the interior design possibilities using a range of rescued materials...

With over 150 color photographs and sketches, as well as a comprehensive listing of architects, designers, and other specialty salvage resources for your hunt, you’ll be ready to visit warehouses, recycling centers, antique shops, and some unique locations in search of the perfect salvaged treasure for your home design.

Joanne Palmisano is an award-winning designer and marketing consultant for Peregrine Design/Build and TruexCullins Architecture and Interior Design in Burlington, Vermont. She is a freelance writer and scouts homes and gardens for stylists of national magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens, Country Gardens, Renovation Style, and Country Living.

Susan Teare is an architectural photographer and has contributed to publications such as Ski Magazine, Fine Homebuilding, Better Homes and Gardens, Custom Home Magazine, Vermont Magazine, and Timber Home Living.

And our own Kim Deetjen makes a cameo appearance on the back cover to offer her endorsement:

“Drawing on her personal experience as well as advice from a posse of experts, Joanne Palmisano shows us that being sensitive to the environment does not mean sacrificing style or good design. Recycled, reclaimed, and salvaged materials and furnishings can be chic, beautiful, and sustainable. Salvage Secrets is a must—an innovative design resource filled with unique and affordable ideas.” —Kim Deetjen, ASID, principal, TruexCullins Interiors

The book will be released on September 12th, but you can reserve your copy now at Amazon.com and other online retailers.  You can also keep up with Joanne and all her salvaging adventures on her Salvage Secrets blog.

A New Home on Lake Champlain

We just posted another new project to the website:  this new residence that we recently completed in South Hero, Vermont:

This is a lakeshore residence that sits on the edge of a small bluff facing west toward the Adirondack Mountains. The house is modest in size and material and is scaled to fit alongside a series of lake camps in this area. The western sun highlights the traditional camp form.

The interior is predominately a large open living space that spills west to the lake. More contemporary materials were chosen for the interior such as a polished concrete floor and simply detailed wood and stone.

Meet the Summer 2011 Interns

We are pleased to welcome two new interns who will be working with us over the summer.  Julia is assisting with the interior design studio, and Charlotte is working on some of our architectural projects.  We asked them to say a few words to introduce themselves, so here they are:

Julia Sturgess
Hello, my name is Julia! I am currently working towards a BFA in Interior Design at Syracuse University. I recently completed the spring semester of my junior year, which I spent studying abroad in London, England. Growing up I was a dedicated ballet dancer, training with the Vermont Ballet Theater School and was a member of their company. As a native Vermonter, I am home for the summer and eager for my internship with TruexCullins. I will be working on a variety of projects for the firm, which I hope will help me to better understand how the business operates. I expect that working for TruexCullins will be a great learning experience that will give me valuable exposure to the design field. 

Charlotte Firestone

Hello! I am a third year architecture student at Cornell University. Originally from Bangor, Maine, I am spending the summer in Burlington and interning for TruexCullins. I practice many sports including, figure skating, running and swimming. My other passions include woodworking, metal working and photography. I am a technical assistant for the wood and metal shops at Cornell. So far, I have worked on a variety of projects with TruexCullins, including a glass connector between two houses, a bathroom renovation and a school renovation. I am very excited to join TruexCullins and already have a better understanding of what it takes to make a project happen.

Welcome, Julia and Charlotte!  We're happy to have you with us!


Flashback Friday: Sunpower Homes

It’s another Flashback Friday on the blog, with a look back at a project that was innovative in its time.

In 1975, Rolf Kielman and Terry Jacobs designed a series of homes that explored alternative methods of heating and cooling, aiming to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  As we enter into this all-American holiday weekend, this project fittingly reminds us that we are still fighting for energy independence, 35 years later.

The Sunpower Homes, as they were called, were located in eastern Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia.  They were speculatively built and were therefore designed to be very user-friendly for any future occupants.  The heating system did not rely on fluid collectors, which would have been more difficult to maintain for the untrained user and would have been susceptible to freezing in cold weather.  Instead, the homes utilized a more low-tech air panel system for the collection of heat which required less maintenance.

The rooftops were equipped with an 830 square foot active air panel collection system, as well as a domestic solar hot water collection system.  Air from the panels was ducted to a large rock box that filled the basement of the house.  This thermal mass retained the heat from the sun and subsequently distributed it throughout the house when it was needed.  If there was no call for heat, an exhaust system dumped the warm air to the exterior.  In the summer, the system was set up for cooling with the circulation of cool night air through the thermal mass, which drew heat out of the house during the day.

The active energy collection systems in these four homes were financed by a $19,000 grant for each house from HUD, the United States Department of Housing.

The homes also adhered to some basic principals of reduced size, improved thermal envelopes and effective siting and orientation.  All the houses were logically oriented to the south, with the major living spaces facing south and garage and service areas to the north.  Shading overhangs permitted the entry of the winter sun but blocked the warm summer sun.  The buildings had a minimal footprint and an effective building envelope insulated to a value of R-30.