JANUS HOUSE BY KENNERLY ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING

A house with two faces

You might have heard it several times: things aren’t black or white. The same usually goes for architecture. It’s sometimes hard to decide between tradition and modernism, so the game is to find a decent balance between these two concepts. For instance, if you take a city like San Francisco, with its very typical row houses, you might dream of living in one of these beauties. And yet, you might also be frustrated by the old-fashioned architecture and the inability to bring a modern touch to it. That’s exactly what Kennerly Architecture & Planning did with the Janus House! Keeping the Victorian façade on the street side, while giving it a lift with modern black shades and a contemporary white façade on the other side! The result is a success. The interior benefits from two influences. On the modern side, light comes in through the large windows and space is made thanks to a loft above the a dining area. On the other side, we find the classic staircase and a comfy lounge area organized around the typical Victorian window. Beautiful proof that life can be simple after all.