Clyde hill residence
When longtime Palo Alto clients—midway through the design of their Bay Area home—called to say they were moving, the news landed like an earthquake. We were halfway through the design process, immersed in layouts, materials, and vision boards, when an irresistible professional opportunity drew them to the Greater Seattle area.
Having already worked with two other designers before finding their rhythm with Studio Yablonska, our collaboration had become a match built on ease, trust, and shared aesthetic language. It was inconceivable that I wouldn’t design their next home—distance be damned.
Within weeks of the move, she and I were on a plane north, scouting possibilities: a renovation or a builder-ready site we could transform from the ground up. We landed on a corner lot with a gentle creek running alongside it, meandering across the lower part of the property. It was peaceful, green, and grounding—just what they needed to ease the heartache of trading California’s sunlight for Seattle’s silver skies.
For these longtime Palo Alto clients relocating north, Studio Yablonska designed a 6,000-square-foot residence that feels deeply balanced—sculptural, serene, and quietly bold.
Relocation. Reinvention.
And a design story that traveled north.
The Vision
The brief was clear and concise: “Make it feel like an art gallery crossed with a boutique hotel.”
They wanted a home that embodied refined simplicity—sculptural but soft, modern but welcoming, architectural but livable. A place that reflected their creative spirit while offering the calm, restorative energy they craved in their new environment.
The Process
The Result
The finished home feels calm, confident, and beautifully grounded.
Rooms unfold in tonal gradients—soft whites, muted taupes, and layers of natural texture that reveal depth in their restraint. The living area opens toward the creek, anchored by a sculptural plaster fireplace. The dining room, cloaked in deep lacquer and brushed brass, adds quiet drama and dimension.
Throughout, art and light are treated as part of the architecture. The office balances dark graphite walls with warm wood and leather, while the primary suite layers neutral textiles and subtle metallics to create a sense of weightless ease.
Every detail—every reveal, edge, and material transition—was considered for both form and feeling. The result is a home that moves between precision and softness, between discipline and warmth.
The project began with a builder-approved plan that lacked character and connection. We redrew the interiors from the inside out—realigning sightlines, simplifying volumes, and introducing natural rhythm to the flow of the home.
Working from our San Francisco design studio, we directed every aspect of the interior architecture, fixtures, and finishes, replacing generic selections with materials chosen for their honesty and tactility. Oak, plaster, stone, and bronze interplay quietly throughout, creating cohesion without repetition.
Remote collaboration became second nature: virtual walk-throughs, material shipments between states, and countless video calls refining millwork proportions and lighting details. The process was meticulous yet fluid—guided by shared intuition and trust.