No more an ugly duckling No more an ugly duckling (November 19, 2004)

Cosmetic changes make a big difference

By Susan Golovin

"I have a passion for homes -- for fixing things up," said designer Suzanne Mann-Moore. Thus, she truly enjoyed converting the Palo Alto home she shares with her husband, James Woody, from "just grim" into one of the jewels of last spring's Mills College Charming Cottage Tour.

"Let's just say it needed a lot of cleaning and painting," she said, adding "I knew if I liked the living room I could make the house work."

Indeed, the living room, to the left of the entrance sets the tone. The palette is subdued -- lots of beige, with shots of color, such as the silk turquoise panel in the Irish linen puddle drapes. The traditional mantel has been slightly updated -- simplified and painted off white -- to "give it more chic."

The upholstered pieces are complemented by English antique furniture. "I've been collecting for years, and the pieces seem made for this house," she said. A lamp fashioned from an old seltzer bottle illustrates the clever use of found objects.

The original fir floors, and the wavy, divided windows have also been left intact. "I know the floor pitches. But it's an old house," she said, summing up her lack of need to replace and modernize. Sea grass is used throughout to carpet the floors and stairs. "It gives the house a lovely smell," she said.

A straight, wide-step staircase faces you as you enter the house, and divides the living from dining room. "It makes the house. ... It gives it presence and grandeur," she added. Bell jars, made into hanging lamps accent the staircase, and old, framed maps line the way.

The dining room is furnished with Regency chairs, tilt-top table and an English bureau/sideboard. In this room the drapes are yellow taffeta. A mannequin, dubbed "Beauty" graces the room.

"I dress her for the seasons," Mann-Moore said. "She was lit up with Easter eggs this spring." Crystal beads from Smith and Hawken are draped over the metal chandelier. Throughout the house are ornate gilt-framed mirrors -- an oft-repeated theme. A completely mirrored wall leads from the kitchen into the family room.

Mann-Moore replaced the kitchen counters with marble tile, but kept the old cabinets, painted and dressed up with glass knobs from Restoration Hardware. She chose red knobs for the Wolfe stove.

"I am so tired of crown moldings," she said, pointing out that she added an 8-inch raised board as trim around the 8 1/2-foot kitchen ceiling. The window next to the table looks straight through to the window-lined hallway leading to the back door, thus opening the space.

The refrigerator is around the corner, and the stainless-steel front faces the family area -- a rare modern touch blending with a nearby black metal-trimmed, gas fireplace.

On the way upstairs the staircase landing branches. On the first landing one is greeted by another mannequin, "Giselle." Past Giselle are the two guest bedrooms, baths and a study. The bedrooms, including the master on the upper level, are all done in a simple, elegant style, with linen and silk drapes, English antique furniture and beds made comfy with large pillows.

All the bathrooms are finished with the same beige marble. Simple white sinks, bathtubs and toilets are new, but not jarringly modern.

A large antique desk dominates the small study. A rudder above a framed antique map and a fishing pole mounted above the window attest to the couple's love of boats. Bamboo Roman shades complement the seagrass rug. "I added the built-in shelves," she said.

A staircase that mimics the main one leads down to the basement. A glass door with wooden frame opens into the wine cellar -- enhanced with mirrors as well as an old piece of granite, now a counter, that Mann-Moore found in a recycling center.

A detached building, which serves as a studio/office and workshop, has a dramatic peaked ceiling and divided windows on two walls. One of Mann-Moore's colorful abstracts adorns a third wall.

"The courtyard is pressed and painted concrete," she said. "It's much less expensive than other hardscapes."

Altogether, the house is a testament to what a lot of love, good taste and elbow grease can achieve.
Goal of project: To cosmetically restore and update home, yet maintain the charm and grandeur of the original Year house built: About 1920 Size of home: 3,300 square feet Resources: Designer: Suzanne Mann-Moore, 475 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, 326-0206

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