It’s a little bit town, a little bit country. Imagine a cozy cottage packed with contemporary art and witty, colorful furnishings, and set it on a leafy, pastoral site dotted with graceful horses—and potbellied pigs. This unlikely picture unfolds in Woodside, where an inviting guesthouse strikes a note of playful sophistication.

Situated on six and a half acres, the three-bedroom home operates at once as a pool house, an art gallery, and a peaceful retreat. “The owners wanted something bucolic that gives the

A HOME FOR ALL REASONSA Woodside family created this fantasy retreat for the lively, the laid-back, the art- loving, and the plain old connoisseur of fun. BY ALLISON SERRELLPhotographs by Matthew Millman

ABOVE: This cozy Woodside cottage is simple yet refined for a family of five. RIGHT: Light floods the living room, giving the place an atmosphere of perpetual summer.

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sense of being on a farm,” explains inte-rior designer Arnelle Kase of Barbara Scavullo Design. They’ve even been known to escape to the house without their three kids. “One will say to the other, ‘Let’s meet at the cottage,’ and they’ll run off together to have some quiet,” Kase says. Despite its rural set-ting, though, the house’s streamlined interior and stunning black-and-white photography pack an urbane punch.

These two sensibilities are seamlessly merged in a modern yet practical design. Inspired by their summers on Nan-tucket, the clients opted for a clean aes-thetic reminiscent of East Coast seaside houses. The exterior is clad in cedar shingles; the interior is paneled entirely in white bead board, creating a sooth-ing, neutral backdrop. Hewn of hand-scraped, wide-plank pine, the ebonized floors exude coffee bean richness. And this black-and-white framework is liv-ened by splashes of primary colors: in the living room, a bright red couch and chairs cozy up to a sky blue rug; bed-rooms are emboldened by touches of red, yellow, and blue. “It’s great to have strong punches of color so things don’t get too serious,” Kase notes. The effect is a little bit Mondrian, a little bit child’s coloring book.

The interior is also designed to give the photo collection star billing. A pic-ture rail hung at eye level rings every room, and the furniture and accessories are both simple and low maintenance to focus attention on the walls. Bedrooms

TOP RIGHT: A rounded butcher block counter, ringed by metallic red bar stools, joins the open kitchen to the living room. BOTTOM RIGHT: Overscale sliding doors at the entry allow for an open living area that gives the small house a spacious feel. LEFT: Striped bedding mimics the verticality of the bead board walls.

“It’s great to have strong punches of color so things don’t get too serious,” Kase notes. The effect is a little bit Mondrian, a little bit child’s coloring book.

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have foldout nightstands and built-in beds and dressers, and the living room features track lighting instead of lamps. “The vision is not about a lot of little things,” Kase says; “it’s more about high contrast.”

Above all, the house is about fun. It’s a place where kids and grown-ups alike can let loose without worrying about disturbing the neighbors or making a mess. Stop by on any given Saturday night, and you’re just as likely to see a poolside cocktail party as a child’s drumming session. Indeed, this vibrant home is a perfect getaway for all concerned. •

RESOURCESARCHITECT: Heidi Richardson, Richard-son Architects, 319 Miller Ave., Ste. 5, Mill Valley, (415) 380-0474.INTERIOR DESIGNER: Barbara Scavullo Design, 415 Jackson St., S.F., (415) 658-8774.FURNITURE: ✦ Living room: Knoll chairs by Knoll Stu-dio, 317 Montgomery St., S.F., (415) 837-2100. Coffee table custom-made by Ted Boerner, Inc., at De Sousa Hughes, 2 Henry Adams St., Ste. 220, S.F., (415) 626-6883. Ravel rug at Galleria Floors, Ltd., 101 Henry Adams St., Ste. 218, S.F., (415) 863-3388.✦ Outdoor: chaise by Heltzer Inc., in Jockey Red, available at Pacific Show-room West, 200 Kansas St., Ste. 1, S.F., (415) 621-7638.✦ Bedding: fabric for duvet cover and matching pillows by Ian Mankin, through De Sousa Hughes. Fabric for other pillows by Osborne & Little, 101 Henry Adams St., Ste. 435, S.F., (415) 255-8987.

50 SAN f r a n c i s c o

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