From single-family home to duplex – back to single-family home

Homeowners Santhosh Kumar and Vijay Srinivasan were pleasantly surprised when they discovered the duplex they purchased in Palo Alto’s Crescent Park neighborhood had originally been built as a single-family home. 

The husband-and-wife duo had been planning to turn the two dwellings into one home, and that certainly simplified the permitting process, Kumar said.

But it didn’t simplify the remodel.

At first, Kumar and Srinivasan thought they’d create their single-family home by merging the two units, remodeling one bathroom and adding a guest bath. But with a teenage daughter, they soon realized they’d be better off with a second full bathroom.

Although one unit had been updated over the years – and the kitchen was pretty much just fine – the second unit had ancient electric wiring. Every time they started to fix something, another project seemed to emerge. The couple stripped down most of the walls to the studs and replaced them with new Sheetrock. They installed new double-paned windows, removed the asbestos-laden popcorn ceilings and replaced the wiring and plumbing throughout. When repairing the sagging front stairs, they discovered that there was no support concrete underneath, so the foundation needed to be shored up and the roof repaired. 

There were some happy discoveries, Kumar said. When they replaced the two front entrance doors with a wide, single door, they found they only had to remove the plywood between the doors. The original framing was perfect, returning the home to its original use.

The couple worked closely with their contractor, Ed Zayer, who offered ideas and choices and introduced them to Silicon Valley Dream Homes, which offers discounted materials, from cabinets to tile to lighting.

Zayer encouraged the couple to keep the house consistent with its origins, adding crown molding and matching wainscoting. Srinivasan thought a rear room, opposite the kitchen, would be a good spot for a washer and dryer. 

“Ed convinced us to make a full-fledged dining seating area and office,” Kumar said, and to move the laundry room to the basement. That way, they could take advantage of the light through the large windows (which likely started out as a screened sun porch). 

The couple merged two long hallways and added space to the rooms on the left side of the home. European oak wide-plank flooring was installed throughout, using a rubbery glue with a moisture and noise barrier that creates a soft feel when you walk on it, Zayer said.

On the left is the living room, with recessed ceiling lighting and a new fireplace surround and mantel. On the right is technically a bedroom, but the room will be used as an office.

Beyond the living room is the first bedroom, now with its own bathroom – featuring glass accent tile behind the vanity, a porcelain countertop and 4-inch-by-4-inch porcelain tiles on the floor, walls and inside the enclosed tub/shower. The door leading into the bathroom has laminated glass, which provides privacy while making the room seem larger.  

The additional width gained from the hallway provided space for a large, deep closet. 

Across the hall is the primary bedroom suite, with the bathroom embracing Srinivasan’s love of blue. Again, 4-inch-by-4-inch porcelain panels run along the floor and up to the walls to the ceiling.  

Finishing touches include a Mitsubishi ducted heat pump, an electric charger in the carport and an electric water heater in the basement, where there’s plenty of room for a pingpong table, laundry area and storage.

In the front of the house, the couple added a 3-foot concrete fence to create a courtyard. The seating placement makes it more like an outdoor room, Zayer said.

Future plans could include adding solar panels to the roof and rebuilding the carport in back, possibly with a rooftop garden over it.