My Houzz: Boho Flair for a 1920s California Tudor

Seismic retrofitting forced homeowner Susan Berry to make some structural decisions about her 1920s home. The Berkeley, California, house had never been retrofitted, and the existing hand-built stone fireplace was literally dragging the house down.

Berry, a marketing specialist for Cost Plus World Market, worked with architect Benjamin Jones and contractor Paul Hansen to remove the old fireplace, reduce the size of the garage and change the front of the house. Once that was done, she called on interior designer Kristina Wolf to help her choose exterior paint colors and outfit the interior. “I needed to get rid of the frumpy suburban furniture I brought along with me that didn’t fit in my new home,” says Berry. “Kristina understood my boho style.”

Berry enjoys traveling internationally, and while she wanted to honor the traditional Tudor architecture, she was ready to implement furnishings and accents that reflect her vibrant personality.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Susan Berry and her two Havanese dogs, Frances and Gloria
Location: Berkeley, California
Size: 1,500 square feet (140 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 1½ baths
Year built: 1927

The original fireplace had been built by hand using large rocks and chicken wire, and the weight was causing the house to sag on one side. Jones worked with civil engineer Alex Finatov to identify risks and create a mitigation plan. The first step was designing a fireplace that was properly scaled for the massive living room.

Once the retrofit was completed, including a new foundation for the new fireplace, Wolf replaced all of Berry’s outdated furniture.

“I love to travel, and I also love architectural pictures that remind me of places I’ve been,” says Berry. “The determining factor in choosing the Venice photo series, however, was that the piece was big and the right scale for the dark, wood-paneled wall.”

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My Houzz: Boho Flair for a 1920s California Tudor