Green and Simple Living
This renovated ranch house in Marin County, California, is home to a globe-trotting collector and a stay-at-home artist, but their divergent styles did not compromise the relaxed new design.
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Nick and Margot Graham are happy to show off their house in Marin County, starting with the lofty foyer, which contains a spin painting by artist Damien Hirst (a friend), and the dining room, with its glass doors leading to an expansive deck. A renovation masterminded by architects Regan Bice and Andrew Fischer turned a claustrophobic, 60-year-old cottage into a light-filled house for the couple, their two teenagers and assorted pets.
But Nick, who founded Joe Boxer, the sardonic underwear company, and Margot, an artist, aren’t conspicuous consumers. Take air-conditioning. Lots of Marin residents have it, but the Grahams didn’t feel the need. On warm days, Margot says, “you can keep the house sealed up, and it stays pretty cool. And then at night you can open it all up to the breezes.” That’s the kind of practicality that doubles as environmentalism.
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