Home Is Where One Starts From: COUPAR Design
Blossom greeted visitors at the entry. Photo: Paul Dyer
We are thrilled to announce the addition of COUPAR Design to our Studio and Marketing offerings. With a team of seasoned professionals, we continue to support the design and building communities while now producing independent projects under the COUPAR name. Our first solo endeavor was updating the interiors of a 1963 Northern California Modernist home. The legendary Norwegian American architect Henrik H Bull designed the house perched high in the San Rafael hills. COUPAR Principal Teresa Kintz and the team collaborated with the homeowners, an artist, and a software engineer to create a welcoming environment that honored Henrik's vision.
The sunken living room with a double-height ceiling. Photo: Paul Dyer
The late architect's structures were site-specific, "I believe strongly that all good architecture must work with and enhance nature. A fine building must feel like it grew there," he explained. The redwood house showcases a low-gabled roof bisected by a ridge skylight running the length of the building. From the expansive glass windows, the residence looks out on pastoral Marin, punctuated by Frank Lloyd Wright's landmark Civic Center. COUPAR Design gave the clients a color palette of warm neutrals interspersing shades of rust and indigo to complement an extensive collection of regional art. Teresa juxtaposed mid-century silhouettes with artisanal furnishing.
The dining room has a view of the Marin landscape. Photo: Paul Dyer
Signature elements of Henrik’s design abound in the house; the dining room overlooks the sunken double-height living area with low built-in redwood cabinetry that serves as a room divider. A long glass hallway links the public and private spaces. The homeowners who met Henrik before he died in 2013 wanted to retain the original architectural details. They became close friends, and he designed a guest cottage for them that echoes the style of the primary abode. Over a decade after Henrik's death, Jonathan Feldman of Feldman Architecture and COUPAR Design are now building the guest cottage.
You can read more about COUPAR Design’s project in the California Homes Magazine article: Marin Modernism COUPAR HONORS A HENRIK H BULL CLASSIC
The glass hallway. Photo: Paul Dyer
