A waterside bicycle ride from Marin’s Civic Center to Point San Pedro in San Rafael decades ago was a defining moment for Larry Andow and Judy Kramer.

The couple, then living in San Francisco and working in corporate finance, were just pedaling through scenic Marin. It may have been “luck,” according to Andow, but that bike ride took them in a whole new life direction.

“When we crested the hill, we noticed the Peacock Gap residential area,” he said. “We soon made an offer on a condo on Heritage Drive and found ourselves starting a family there.”

They moved nearby to what would become their forever home in 1996.

Situated along the Peacock Gap Golf Course, the couple fell in love with a 1970s-era one-story house, quipping that “the golf course just happened to come along with it.”

“We liked the size of the house, which is less than 2,000 square feet,” Andow said. “It fit our two children and ourselves.”

At the time, though, “we really didn’t understand how nice it would be to have an expanse of green and a view of Mount Tamalpais that someone else maintained.”

He chalks it up to just “ignorant bliss” that they happened to choose a house where the golfers tee off in the opposite direction. Only a few errant balls make their way over the back fence.

They also didn’t realize then how much they’d come to appreciate the neighborhood.

“We loved raising both our kids here and loved being part of the community,” he said. “Our children and their friends often played at a pocket park across from us, and we are in a cul-de-sac, which we occasionally block off for neighborhood parties.”

They weren’t about to give that all up when they looked ahead to their retirement years.

So, they decided to remodel the kitchen and the backyard — once again.

When they first purchased their home, the light remodel consisted of opening up the galley kitchen into the dining and living areas, and updating the appliances.

“We didn’t have the funds or energy to take out the load-bearing wall then,” Andow said. “With this remodel, we opened up the space even further to improve the flow, increase our storage space and better fit how we like to live and entertain. We can age in place in this home.”Judi Cooper of Kitchens Inside Out was instrumental in expertly guiding the couple through the design process, and they relied upon her for her contractor and subcontractor recommendations.

“Judi took us to several showrooms to help us choose the stone and several of the appliances, and got us samples of our cabinetry wood, backsplash tile and other items,” Andow said. “Seeing these in person made it easier to make our final choices.”

He praises BBC Construction for “anticipating problems and changes to the plan, so we could make decisions in a timely manner, and communicated with us regularly about all aspects of the project.”

The couple was also pleased with the work done by San Rafael’s Rake Electric, Novato’s Johnson Engineering and Fairfax’s Lighting Forms, along with out-of-county vendors such as Crystal Cabinet Works for cabinetry and Pratt + Larson for tile.

Now, a new Pella window has replaced the former glass block window and infuses the space with more sunlight; the removal of a load-bearing wall gives them direct access to the garage; and a dedicated wall space gives them a prominent spot to showcase a painting by local artist Naomi Lee.

Their large kitchen island, topped with a stone waterfall-style counter, takes center stage in an area that also features new appliances, such as a Wolf induction stovetop, a Wolf wok station, a Miele steam oven and a built-in Miele coffee station.

Outside, the home’s backyard borrows a spectacular vista of Mount Tamalpais over fairway greens.

It received a mini-makeover about four years ago when it was terraced with a stone retaining wall, and the concrete slab off the deck was replaced with flagstone, giving them more usable space.

“Then, it sat bare of plants until early this year,” Andow said.

The couple chose Eric Rayner of Rayner Landscaping in Novato to design and install the landscape and irrigation, and opted for a colorful, carefree landscape with succulents to go with the garden’s existing half-dozen birch trees.

Clough Construction replaced the wood deck with a TimberTech deck.

Now that the construction and landscaping are complete, Andow and Kramer can truly enjoy their home.

“We just love to ‘be’ in our kitchen as it provides the functionality we hoped for,” he said.

And, when outside, their destination is their new deck, where they relax and soak up their big borrowed view.

Show off

If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin home, I’d love to know about it.

Please send an email describing either one (or both), what you love most about it, and a photograph or two. I will post the best ones in upcoming columns. Your name will be published, and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O. Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.