Drama and openness transform this colonial-style house in California
Mickus Projects is behind this dramatic transformation of a 1910 colonial-style house in Alameda, California

Ryan Gobuty - Photography
'The finished design is best described as a gradient,' says Ben Mickus of architecture and furniture design studio Mickus Projects, who led the redesign of this 1910 colonial style house in Alameda, California. When his wife, Taryn, spotted the property on sale, not too far from the previous home, the couple agreed to snap it up and transform it from a historical space to one that brings together old and new through a craft-rich design that respects the past and looks to the future.
The duo, operating as both a family unit and client-and-architect throughout the project's development, worked together to open up the interior. Walls and an existing fireplace were removed, resulting in a ground level that is visually connected across the floorplate, from the street facade to back garden. While the front of the house maintains its period character with restored historic features and cosier proportions, the rear now features a wall of glass and a double height space that bathes the interiors with natural light. This area houses the kitchen, dning area and a home office, looking out towards a green garden.
The main, ground level hosts most of the key rooms in the house - a living room at the front, two en suite bedrooms at the side, and that long, bright space in the centre and rear that brings together food preparation and dining, culminating in a majestic 'sun room' under a geometric, white feature ceiling with exposed beams that follow the dramatic angles of the pitched roof. A couple of further bedrooms and a family room are placed on the lower ground, while a bonus, flexible loft space has been placed in the converted attic.
Mickus, who tackles projects of various scales and often works with bespoke furniture and fittings, made sure the interior features customised pieces throughout and the overall attention to detail was central in this architectural transformation. A folded metal staircase that leads from the main floor to the loft interior; the strategically placed dormer windows (one of which becomes the only spot in the house to offer views of San Francisco bay); and a selection of bespoke joinery, are just some of the elements that come together with an eclectic colour palette and contemporary furnishings to create a domestic interior that feels both intimate and grand, in touch with this past, but also looking ahead to the 21st century.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
The Sialia 45 cruiser is a welcome addition to the new generation of electric boats
Polish shipbuilder Sialia Yachts has launched the Sialia 45, a 14m all-electric cruiser for silent running
By Jonathan Bell
-
Tokyo design studio We+ transforms microalgae into colours
Could microalgae be the sustainable pigment of the future? A Japanese research project investigates
By Danielle Demetriou
-
What to see at London Craft Week 2025
With London Craft Week just around the corner, Wallpaper* rounds up the must-see moments from this year’s programme
By Francesca Perry
-
Los Angeles businesses regroup after the 2025 fires
In the third instalment of our Rebuilding LA series, we zoom in on Los Angeles businesses and the architecture and social fabric around them within the impacted Los Angeles neighbourhoods
By Mimi Zeiger
-
‘Fall Guy’ director David Leitch takes us inside his breathtaking Los Angeles home
For movie power couple David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, interior designer Vanessa Alexander crafts a home with the ultimate Hollywood ending
By Anna Fixsen
-
The Lighthouse draws on Bauhaus principles to create a new-era workspace campus
The Lighthouse, a Los Angeles office space by Warkentin Associates, brings together Bauhaus, brutalism and contemporary workspace design trends
By Ellie Stathaki
-
This minimalist Wyoming retreat is the perfect place to unplug
This woodland home that espouses the virtues of simplicity, containing barely any furniture and having used only three materials in its construction
By Anna Solomon
-
We explore Franklin Israel’s lesser-known, progressive, deconstructivist architecture
Franklin Israel, a progressive Californian architect whose life was cut short in 1996 at the age of 50, is celebrated in a new book that examines his work and legacy
By Michael Webb
-
A new hilltop California home is rooted in the landscape and celebrates views of nature
WOJR's California home House of Horns is a meticulously planned modern villa that seeps into its surrounding landscape through a series of sculptural courtyards
By Jonathan Bell
-
The Frick Collection's expansion by Selldorf Architects is both surgical and delicate
The New York cultural institution gets a $220 million glow-up
By Stephanie Murg
-
Remembering architect David M Childs (1941-2025) and his New York skyline legacy
David M Childs, a former chairman of architectural powerhouse SOM, has passed away. We celebrate his professional achievements
By Jonathan Bell