Mid Century

Woodside, CA

This Woodside project is particularly close to our hearts. We were approached by the former president of Ford Motor Co. and retired dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business—then approaching his 100th birthday—to renovate the house he had built in the 1960s for his son and daughter-in-law. His wife was an interior designer with impeccable taste, so we had big shoes to fill. Working closely with the architects, we preserved what mattered most, including the original walnut-paneled office, left largely intact, while opening the floor plan and reimagining the interiors for contemporary living. Two bedrooms became a home theater, the kitchen was expanded, and a new primary suite was added. Walnut remains the thread that holds the house together, just as it always did, but the palette is lighter, the materials more refined, and the home ready for its next chapter.

  • Sullivan StudioInterior Designer
  • SDG ArchitectureArchitect
  • Mark Kelley ConstructionBuilder
  • Cleaver Design AssociatesLandscape Architect
  • Brad KnipsteinPhotographer
  • Michael WaltersStylist
Side seating area in the living room surrounded by large windows with views into the yard.

The soaring living room, with expansive windows overlooking the property’s magnificent oak trees and Thomas Church-designed gardens, is large enough for multiple gathering spaces. A games area is anchored by an Edward Wormley table that is original to the house.

Modern kitchen with wood cabinets, marble countertops, and pendant lights above the island..

I love the simplicity of this kitchen—how the walnut cabinetry feels authentic and unpretentious alongside the calming white Calacatta marble.

Linda Sullivan
Kitchen with wood cabinets, marble backsplash, and island seating.
Round breakfast table surrounded by white chairs and garden views.
Dining room with neutral tones, modern chairs, pendant lights, and a view of the art hanging in the hallway.

A sculptural light fixture instantly gives a room a point of view. In the dining room, Jonathan Browning Studio’s 14-light porcelain chandelier nods to midcentury design while feeling thoroughly current. The dining table is new but has the warmth of a vintage piece and from every seat there are views of the gardens or modern art framed by wide openings edged in walnut that echo the floors.

Seating area with a chaise lounge, small wooden tables, and three landscape paintings.

We designed the interiors to feel unmistakably midcentury, but with a contemporary edge. They are timeless while still honoring the original.

Linda Sullivan
Bathroom vanity with round gold mirror and herringbone tile.
Modern bedroom with neutral tones, bubble chandelier, and a view into the garden.

Ripple-fold drapery, matched exactly to the wall color and hung from ceiling to floor, makes the midcentury height feel more generous. A geometric Apparatus fixture and a custom leather headboard introduce a contemporary edge, while a pair of inherited lamps—unmistakably of their era—anchor the room to the house's history.

Poolhouse kitchen with wooden cabinets, white countertops, and small pendant lights. Modern bathroom with marble sink, geometric mirror, and black-and-white patterned floor tiles.
Home office with dark wooden shelves, modern armchair, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Modern one-story home entrance with large glass doors and potted trees on the steps leading to the entrance.