This home, an architecturally significant 1937 Clarence Tantau-designed home in Diablo, was originally the center of a large ranch on an east-facing hillside looking at dramatic views of Mt. Diablo. It was built around a courtyard, on extensive grounds originally designed by Thomas Church. Since its heyday, the ranchlands have been subdivided, but the house, with its dramatic prospect, remains. The owners wished to create a new kitchen / family area, open to the mountain view, out of the existing cramped kitchen and pantry, originally designed for servants. The public rooms, with their high ceilings, classically spare detailing, boxed-out windows and French doors opening to the mountain views provided a clear design direction for the alterations.