A 1920s Healdsburg Home Is Transformed Into a Sleek, Modern Dwelling

The home is currently for sale, with an asking price of $2,450,000. See before and after pictures.


A home dating back to the early 1900s can be a treasure for a prospective homebuyer in California, especially if it’s situated near a gem of a town like Healdsburg. But sometimes historic homes come with a few blemishes.

A 1920s property at Sherman Street in Healdsburg, just a 15-minute walk from the downtown plaza, was recently transformed into a sleek, modern dwelling by San Francisco interior design firm Heaton + Williams and Santa Rosa’s Coscia Construction. The reconstruction included removing most of the original structure, while maintaining the footprint of the original home and raising the pitch of the roof. The Sherman Street home is now listed for $2,450,000 by Bob Pennypacker of Healdsburg Sotheby’s International.

The street-facing part of the 4-bed, 4-bath home, formerly a living room, has been converted into two bedrooms with bay windows to slightly expand the living space, without increasing the size of the home into the front yard, something which is regulated by local zoning laws.

The kitchen with a newly vaulted ceiling. (Steven Magner)
A lucite desk
A lucite or “ghost desk” is functional while adding less “visual weight” to a home. (Steven Magner)

A vaulted ceiling in the open-concept kitchen-living room area creates a sense of airiness, while indoor and outdoor spaces blend together in a way that is very popular these days. Sliding glass doors that pocket into the wall add to the sense of openness, as do the white-painted walls — styling details like a lucite desk have an almost disappearing effect. Black accents and a few decorative elements add interest to the otherwise white color palette: a warm leather bench, blue tiles, black fixtures and subtle color in the cabinetry, for example.

The property also comes with a black-bottom pool with an infinity edge and an in-demand ADU (accessory dwelling unit) in the backyard; an attractive new building with a kitchen, bath and bedroom that can serve as added living space and office, or a home for a relative or tenant.

This home, located at 123 Sherman Street in Healdsburg, is listed by Bob Pennypacker of Healdsburg Sotheby’s International, 409 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, 707-799-6032, bobpennypacker.com