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When a Bay Area family reached out to Oakland-based Redmond Aldrich Design to design their dream home, the wife, Christina, didn’t share much information. She omitted that her husband, Andre Iguodala, is a Golden State Warriors superstar.
“Christina is very low-key,” says founder Chloe Redmond Warner, who spearheaded the project alongside senior designer Taylor Shanahan. After briefing the Warner team on the concept they had in mind for their 7,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home – they wanted an understated yet modern French-inspired aesthetic with plenty of room to accommodate family and friends. – Christina casually mentioned to Shanahan that the house would need a fair amount of custom furniture. “She said to me, ‘My husband is very tall,'” Shanahan recalled, “and after pausing for a moment, she added, ‘And all his friends are very tall.'”
Despite the traveling nature of the NBA – for the past 18 years Andre has also played for Philadelphia, Denver and Miami – when Christina contacted Redmond Aldrich (after discovering that the company had designed one of her favorite stores) , it was because the family was finally ready to put down roots. “Our son will be graduating in a few years, so the idea of moving in the middle of high school didn’t seem right to me,” says Christina, who met her husband when he was a high school classmate in their hometown of Springfield, Ill. Warner, likewise, is also a Bay Area transplant. After graduating from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 2005, she moved to Oakland and founded Redmond Aldrich, which has since become known for its atmospheric spaces that are full of old-world detail and channel the breezy california style.
Indeed, Iguodala’s home looks like the epitome of California living, with a sprawling backyard filled with native plants and views of the redwood forests beyond. “The house is very bright; there’s a lot of light there,” Warner says. She met airy architecture with a neutral palette of whites, grays and natural textures, like stone and glossy dark stained wood. For example, in the formal living room, which has double-height ceilings and faces the pool, they chose furnishings that would elicit a calm yet luxurious vibe: a bespoke speckled gray sofa from Egg Collective, wool bouclé armchairs cream from CB2, a modernist-inspired travertine table from Lawson-Fenning and an oak lamp from Lostine. However, above the fireplace lined with white marble, they have added a pop of color in the form of an abstract painting by Nigerian American Odili artist Donald Odita, which provides a stark contrast to the otherwise light space. .
“The architecture and the design are quite discreet and sober,” emphasizes Warner. “But the art adds so much dynamism.” In fact, over the past few years the couple have built up an extensive portfolio of contemporary art. “Supporting black artists is paramount to us,” says Christina. Her and André’s collection has grown to include pieces by pop artist Rello, Turner Prize winner Chris Ofili and British installation artist Isaac Julien. “Some of our favorite pieces are the photos by Oakland-based artist Sadie Barnett,” she continues, referring to the portraits of the artist’s father that hang in the pink-walled dining room. “They evoke a sense of familiarity and are acceptable to anyone with or without an artistic background.” Christina adds, “I knew I didn’t want my house to look like a museum, which might be easy given the size of the space and the height of the ceilings. I wanted it to invite guests to really enjoy our home.
