Not One But Two Bright-Red Bathrooms Punch Up This Midcentury Reno

The mosaic-tiled rooms sit in a new wooden core that pairs with original mahogany inside the Roger Lee–designed Berkeley Hills home.

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Project Details:

Location: Berkeley Hills, California

Architect: Mork-Ulnes Architects / @morkulnesarchitects

Footprint: 1,440 square feet

Builder: Nima Construction

Photographer: Joe Fletcher / @joefletcherphoto

From the Architect: “Mork-Ulnes Architects has just completed a restoration of a Roger Lee–designed home in the Berkeley Hills, honoring its midcentury roots while updating the space for modern living. With views of the San Francisco Bay, the redesign retains signature elements such as a solid laminated two-by-six-inch ceiling with exposed beams, celebrating the warm, natural materiality of the mahogany wood interior. A precise intervention removed sections of original wall enclosures, enhancing the home’s strong planar language while preserving its original spatial concepts. This transformation opened up the previously enclosed galley kitchen to the main living area, fostering a greater sense of connection and light. New cabinetry and veneer walls form a wood-clad core that discreetly conceals the home’s functional elements. Two bathrooms buried within the wooden core surprise with vibrant red small mosaic tiles, while the kitchen, lounge, and primary bedroom are visually connected to the lush back garden, enhancing indoor/outdoor flow.”