April 15, 2024 By Kristen Bateman Town & Country Magazine
When the interior designer Ken Fulk begins working with new clients, he asks them to fill out a “Fulkfessional,” a form with questions to help him understand what matters most to them at home. Among his favorite questions lately is “Dumb house or smart house?” The answer is everything.
The philanthropist Christine Schantz knew exactly what she wanted for her historic 1925 home in Marin County. She tasked Fulk (and architect Andrew Skurman) with creating a residence that could last 30 years without another renovation. All those smart flourishes that are the rage these days—automated fixtures, complex lighting systems, remote-controlled appliances, charging stations, electronic security systems, and, everyone’s favorite, Alexa—went out the window. Schantz didn’t want a SpaceX command station but a family retreat. “Technology doesn’t go with that,” she says.