My blog readers have one consistent question after they see my before-and-after gallery: “Does anyone actually maintain his or her space?”
Under a Mansard roof in downtown Los Altos, hotel guests relax in their French-infused rooms, read by the fireplace in the cozy library or, in the bistro, nibble pastries flown in from Paris. And proprietor Abigail Ahrens resides – literally – under the rooftop.
Now in her 48th year in the real estate business, Ahrens, owner of The Abigail Co., has long had a penchant for designing and development. She was also part of a partnership that owned an antique store in Los Gatos and a store for high-end interiors – Hilary Thatz at Stanford Shopping Center.
After they retired and remodeled their Mountain View home, Joanne Kanow and Joe Petersack decided to renovate their landscape as well. Their front lawn was not growing well and was compacted; their backyard was mostly 3-foot-by-3-foot squares of aggregate concrete.
By day, it’s a gym, a yoga and martial arts studio, a Ninja Warrior training ground and a playroom. By night, it’s a place to curl up as a family to watch Warriors games on the big-screen TV, play poker or host parties for friends.
Welcome to the Peruri family’s Los Altos basement.
This is part 2 in the “Disaster Repair” series. Part 1 appeared in the Feb. 22 Town Crier.
Filoli has scheduled its annual Flower Show Thursday through Sunday at the estate, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside.
Floral designers interpreted this year’s theme, “Time Began in a Garden: A Centennial Celebration,” with dozens of floral displays and table settings inside the house. Additional displays in the gardens will include horticultural collections and educational exhibits. Guests can meander through the vintage greenhouses and view the sculptures installed throughout the grounds. Docents will be on hand from noon to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday to answer questions.
