Journal

Aerial view of the house and deck on a wooded hillside, Sarah residence, Mill Valley

Sarah, Mill Valley: How a Few Small Additions Connected a Hillside House to Its Site

A renovation and a series of small additions gave a Mill Valley hillside house the connection to its site and southern views that it never had. The project was a Platinum Winner in the 2026 Design Skill Awards.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Open plan with white island and a bay view through the windows, Monte Mar residence, Sausalito

Local Guides

Design Review in Sausalito: What to Expect Before You Remodel or Add On

Which Sausalito remodels and additions need design review, who decides, what the Planning Commission looks for, and how story poles and neighbor outreach work. As of November 2026, with links to the City's own pages.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Living room with a red fireplace wall, black sectional and skylight, Oak residence, Mountain View

Working With an Architect

How Architects Charge: Fixed Fee, Percentage of Construction Cost and Hourly

The three ways an architect's fee is usually structured, when each one fits, what the fee covers, and what California requires your contract to say.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Kitchen with curved island, bar stools, wood cabinets, and round skylight, Robinhood residence, San Francisco

Design Notes

Skylights: The Easiest Way to Light the Middle of a House

Why we use skylights as much as we can: to light the middle of a plan, balance light from one side, lift a ceiling and let warm air out, with examples from our projects.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Street facade with orange and gray cladding and a wood slat fence, Yukon residence, San Francisco

Project Stories

Yukon, San Francisco: Giving a Much-Altered Castro House Coherence

A turn-of-the-century Castro bungalow had lost its character to decades of additions. The renovation kept the footprint, reorganized the interior and gave the exterior one controlled palette.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Gray shingled house with a covered front porch at dusk, Matilda residence, Mill Valley

Local Guides

Adding On in Mill Valley: Design Review in the City and in Unincorporated Marin

Who reviews an addition or remodel in Mill Valley, what the City looks for, what to prepare, how story poles work and how long it takes. As of November 2026, from the City's own documents.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Open living and dining area with wood table, sofa and built-in media wall, Gover residence, San Carlos

Working With an Architect

Remodel, Add On or Rebuild? How to Decide

Five ways to change a house, from reorganizing the plan to building new, with projects that show each one, four questions that sort most houses, and how a city can draw the line on demolition.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Living room with beamed ceiling, linear fireplace, and sectional sofa, Robinhood residence, San Francisco

Project Stories

Robinhood, San Francisco: Wabi-Sabi in a John Bolles Mid-Century House

A mid-century house by John Bolles on San Francisco's highest residential street: the kitchen opened, the deck reconnected, and a Japanese-inspired interior with a tatami room and soaking tubs.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Open-tread stair with steel railings beside a dark shelf wall, Elsie Street residence, San Francisco

Design Notes

Stairs: A Great Place to Let Loose a Little

Why the stair deserves more thought than it gets: stairs that connect levels, an enclosed stair opened up, detail from simple materials, daylight from above, and a stair outdoors.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Street view of the dark-sided town house at dusk, Valencia residence, San Francisco

Local Guides

San Francisco Remodel Permits: Neighborhood Notice and Discretionary Review

How the planning side of a San Francisco remodel works: the pre-application meeting, Section 311 neighborhood notification, Discretionary Review and appeals. As of November 2026.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Architectural model of the house with porch, pergola and steps, Matilda residence, Mill Valley

Working With an Architect

From First Sketch to Move-In: The Nine Phases of a Home Design Project

What an architect does between the first conversation and the finished house: nine phases, from pre-design and programming to bidding and construction observation, and the question each one answers.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Exterior stair to a glass-railed terrace and sliding doors to a bedroom, Monte Mar residence, Sausalito

Project Stories

Monte Mar, Sausalito: A Hillside Home Opened to Richardson Bay

A Sausalito hillside home modernized and enlarged: the kitchen opened to the view, the lower floor more than doubled by digging into the hill, and a failed exterior stair replaced.

Phil RossingtonNovember 15, 2026

Journal

Sarah, Mill Valley: How a Few Small Additions Connected a Hillside House to Its Site

Design Review in Sausalito: What to Expect Before You Remodel or Add On

How Architects Charge: Fixed Fee, Percentage of Construction Cost and Hourly

Skylights: The Easiest Way to Light the Middle of a House

Yukon, San Francisco: Giving a Much-Altered Castro House Coherence

Adding On in Mill Valley: Design Review in the City and in Unincorporated Marin

Remodel, Add On or Rebuild? How to Decide

Robinhood, San Francisco: Wabi-Sabi in a John Bolles Mid-Century House

Stairs: A Great Place to Let Loose a Little

San Francisco Remodel Permits: Neighborhood Notice and Discretionary Review

From First Sketch to Move-In: The Nine Phases of a Home Design Project

Monte Mar, Sausalito: A Hillside Home Opened to Richardson Bay

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phil@rossingtonarchitecture.com

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