Mountain High

Author:Abigail Stone

Interior designer Brad Krefman keeps the spotlight on the scenery in this contemporary Marin County home.

Location, location, location, goes the old real estate adage about what to look for in purchasing a home. Not surprisingly, it’s also a factor that also comes into consideration when it comes to creating a home’s interior design. Especially when the house offers the sensational views of Mt. Tam captured from this residence in Marin County.

Certainly it’s a philosophy interior designer Brad Krefman of BK Interior Design kept in mind when working on this space. “Our interiors always reference context, purpose and place,” says Krefman, “Our goal is to help navigate our clients’ personal style through thoughtfully curated spaces with a focus on premium materials and functional solutions.” Working in partnership with Steve Wisenbaker Architects and Chris D Moore Landscape Architecture, Krefman created a modern, open-plan space that put the focus on the scenery framed in the home’s expansive windows.

“He wanted to maximize the indoor/outdoor living potential for entertaining,” Krefman notes of the client, who works in real estate, “Our goal is to conceptualize elevated spaces that are as inspiring as they are comfortable.” A single father with three high school aged children, the trick was to balance an impressive and elegant space in which to host parties with one that was also a comfortable and inviting retreat for the family.

“In order to do this,” Krefman explains, “we flanked the great room with a streamlined, modern kitchen on one side, and installed paneling along the fireplace wall to break up the white and introduce more warmth. We also used bright and soft textiles throughout the living space. In the kitchen, we also opted for the client’s Art Basel-sourced painting instead of a predictable range hood.”

Lighting helps define the spaces in the open design. Pendant lights by Bright on Presidio hang over the kitchen island, while a fixture from Ochre elevates the formal eating space. The color of the kitchen’s seating elides with Mother Nature’s palette, underling the visual blur between interior and exterior that is introduced by the Fleetwood doors that open the home onto the water. A neutral color scheme was chosen for the majority of the furniture, keeping all eyes on the landscape.

For the client, the result was a dream come true. “He was beyond excited that the space felt modern and sophisticated, yet warm and inviting,” says Krefman.