The Belvedere Municipal Code requires Planning Commission approval before a building permit for construction, excavation, grading, exterior alteration, or an extension in a single-family residential zone. That makes the first design decision here a careful one: improve how light works through the rooms without treating the terraces, arched openings, or exterior as a blank slate. Belvedere Municipal Code, Title 19, Chapter 19.60
The light at the arched French doors
This is Amy’s project for the family in the house on Belvedere Avenue in Belvedere. The three-story house already has an open plan, a vaulted living room, and arched bronze-framed French doors opening to terraces and broad water views. I would not start by taking out another wall. The better question is how to keep the view and the daylight while making the rooms comfortable when the sun is strong and the doors are closed.
I would retain the century-old patterned oak floors, the smooth plaster walls, and the arched doors. They are not background decoration; together with the red clay tile roof and stucco exterior, they give the house its Mediterranean character. The open layout lets that architecture and the bay views read across the living spaces. Motorized shades or drapery at the French doors could temper glare without asking the family to give up the view. The fabric and track would need to suit the arched openings, and the final choice should be checked against the door dimensions and how each panel operates.
The large living room’s vaulted ceiling and ornate cast-iron chandelier call for a lighting plan with more than one source. I would keep the chandelier as a focal point and add discreet, dimmable light where it can serve the room without competing with the arches or the floor inlay. The house has three stories and an installed elevator, so lighting should also be considered at the points where people move between levels, not just in the main room. We would check the existing switching and wiring before specifying controls; the record does not establish what electrical capacity or circuits are available.
Three levels, one connected plan
Central heating and central cooling serve a house with several connected living areas, while gas fireplaces are listed in the living room and outside. That makes it important to test the shade and lighting choices in the rooms as they are used, rather than assume one setting will suit every side of the open plan. The shades should reduce direct glare while still allowing daylight through, and any new lighting should work with the existing central systems rather than presume they will be changed. I would keep the fireplaces as separate sources of atmosphere, not make them carry the job of lighting a large room.
The house also has a tile roof, a stucco exterior, terraces, and a guest house. Those facts argue for keeping the light-focused work largely indoors unless there is a clear reason to alter an exterior surface. If the family wants changes visible from outside, the review path matters: the city code says a building-permit application must include a map or diagram locating the land and showing where the proposed improvement sits. It also says a permit cannot issue for work contrary to Title 19 unless the Planning Commission has granted a variance. Belvedere Municipal Code, Title 19, Chapter 19.60 Before committing to exterior-facing work, the owners should confirm its review requirements with the Belvedere Planning Commission.
A house that should keep its own proportions
Of the 18 single-family homes that closed in Belvedere in the twelve months to November 2026, the median was built in 1962, and 72 percent were built before 1980. That citywide pattern is not a reason to apply an older-house opening strategy here: this house was built in 2008, already has an open plan, and its arches, stucco, and tile roof set a different architectural direction. I would use that distinction to keep the project focused on light control, the existing room connections, and materials that belong with the house, rather than enlarge openings for their own sake. Redfin sold-home data for Belvedere
Building this plan would mean protecting the inlaid oak and plaster while the shade tracks, lighting, and controls are installed. Work would be coordinated room by room so the family could retain access to other parts of the three-story home where possible; the exact disruption depends on what the wiring and door measurements show. The result should feel calm in the bright hours and warmly layered after dark, with the chandelier, fireplace, and terrace views still belonging to the rooms rather than competing for attention. If you own a home with these proportions and want its light to work harder without losing what makes it yours, get in touch with Amy.
