Built in 1945 by architect Henry Hill, this Kentfield property, known as the Herspring House, has long reflected the ideals of Northern California’s Second Bay Tradition: efficient planning, indoor-outdoor flow, and materials that feel at home in the landscape.

Today, it’s been updated for a modern family without losing those core values. Fisher Architects led the renovation, with Gregory Paul Wallace (structural engineer), David John Bigham (landscape design), and Color Folio Design (color consulting). The project is a study in what to keep, what to adapt, and how to stay consistent with the original intent while changing how the home functions day to day.

Originally featured in House & Garden in 1948, the house was praised for its informal layout and hillside setting. While the core plan still worked, the kitchen was small, and the family needed more space: a new primary suite, updated kids’ rooms, and a more usable pool area.

Instead of reworking the entire structure, the team made strategic additions and changes. The kitchen footprint nearly doubled, but cabinetry and materials were kept minimal to match the original tone. A new deck extends the kitchen’s function outdoors. The primary suite addition follows the original roofline and is clad in fiber cement panels that match the existing color, helping it blend without copying.

At the far end of the property, a new pool house offers extra living space and shields the outdoor area from wind. Like the main house, it uses glass walls and sliding doors to stay connected to the outdoors.

Interior circulation and storage were also improved. The entry sequence now includes a skylit volume that hides a powder room and reorganized closets, improving privacy and flow without taking away from the home’s openness.

Every part of the update was designed to feel integrated—not just in materials or forms, but in the way the house is lived in. The result is a renovation that supports modern life but keeps its original identity intact.