For our House Full of Readers project, we redesigned a 1930s Tudor home for our almost empty nester clients. Nestled in charming Palo Alto, their home was set on a charming historic street in a neighborhood with a strong sense of community. As they embarked on the next season of life, with their kids preparing to head to college, the goal was still to create spaces that the whole family could enjoy together.  We created a bright, flexible and cozy Tudor home interior design that layered texture and art, ensuring every reader in this family had a cozy and colorful seat.  

The Challenge: The Perfect Seat for Everyone 

Though the house had its charm, the existing interior was dark, crowded, uncomfortable, and had a particularly “autumnal” palette. The furniture was oversized, inefficient, and overall inadequate! Each family member would find themselves racing for the one “good” reading chair, and there was never enough seating on book club nights to go around. The home was simply not suiting their needs; this Palo Alto historic home redesign needed to provide flexible, inviting seating and a brighter atmosphere, while honoring the home’s original character.

The Answer: Tudor Made Modern 

As with all our historical homes, we looked to the original architectural details for inspiration. At House Full of Readers, we drew inspiration from the home’s Tudor features, its plaster ceilings, parquet floors, and original fireplace tile, then layered in light, modern touches. Building on these foundations, we expertly layered neutral upholstery, grays, and blues to create a sense of brightness with cozy finishes and warm coral corals. 

To accommodate a modern Tudor renovation, we

• Designed layered window treatments to balance brightness and coziness.
  
• Specified new lighting to enhance the home’s architectural drama.
  
• Commissioned custom furniture sized perfectly for reading, gathering, and everyday living.
  

The Result: A Place For Everyone to Pull Up a Seat 

The result is a vibrant, functional interior that serves our two clients on weeknights, four when the kids are home on weekend breaks from college, and larger crowds for evenings when they host book club! Between their bold taste in art, the home’s Tudor-revival features, and a curated selection of finishes, we created the perfect home for this family to make memories for years to come. 

This charming Tudor home still possesses many of its original details, including the entry light, beautiful wood doors, and hardware.⁠ During the design phase, we discovered that the original dining room doors were missing. Our client wanted to restore this element of the home, so he had new doors made to match the existing ones and even scored matching original hardware from a neighbor!⁠

In the dining room, we designed a space perfect for any occasion. This room is ready for it all, from the belly laughs over dinner to having hard conversations and making big decisions. We commissioned a custom-designed white oak console from my favorite local furniture maker. The compelling X design creates the perfect pedestal for this lovely moment, and the watermelon chair fabric carries the joy radiating from the art piece to the table. ⁠

For the living spaces, we sourced a flexible combination of chairs, ottomans, a comfy sofa, and a bench to ensure that everyone has a great seat, whether it’s movie night, book club, or just a typical Tuesday. And thanks to our wonderful partnerships with Dolby Chadwick, Slate, and Andrea Schwartz Gallery, we shopped with our clients as they discovered a collection of truly unique pieces that brings them joy and adds beauty to the space. 

Kind Words

“This project was wonderful to photograph. A lot of designers stay with safe neutrals, and I love that Melinda chooses bold and rich colors to create a vibrant and luxurious environment.” – Michelle Drewes on Cisco Home Blog

Awards: 

ASID Design Excellence Award GOLD Living Room

Special thanks to our vendors and trades. 

• Cisco Home
• Fayce Textiles
• Dolby Chadwick Gallery
• SLATE Contemporary Gallery
• Andrea Schwartz Gallery
• Giselle Hicks Ceramics via Yonder Shop
• And more!