Although this mid-century house is perched on a mountain overlooking the bay in San Francisco’s Noe Valley, its original design did nothing to embrace its clear views and natural light. The client, half a design-savvy couple with a young son (and baby number 2 on the road), desired an open and glowing area in which to boost your family. “Their main priority has been opening up the house,” says interior designer Regan Baker. “The original house was a dark warren of clutter and walls.”
Architect Mason Miller knocked down almost every interior wall at the 1,600-square-foot apartment’s most important floor, clearing the way for a opinion in each main room. A master suite was inserted into the top floor, also Baker gave the house a unique textural blend of rustic, contemporary and retro-inspired décor. The perspective of the blue skies, the endless sea and the city “is exactly like a piece of artwork on the walls,” says Baker. “It is best seen about white walls and less clutter.”
Regan Baker Design Inc..
“The client’s love of this juxtaposition of organic components with shiny and slick contemporary components really inspired the concept,” says Baker. Walls were retained white to allow the finishes shine and keep the house feeling contemporary.
The client and her husband have been over 6 feet tall, so they desired to bring some visual height into the 8-foot ceilings. The crown molding was stripped off, 8-inch baseboards were additional and white paint was used to help visually extend the wall area.
Starburst mirror: Crate and Barrel
Couch: Andre Sofa, Room & Board
Console: Anders Media Cabinet, Room & Board
Armchairs: Gigi Chair, Room & Board
Rug: Jute Chenille Herringbone Rug, West Elm
Regan Baker Design Inc..
The stunning fireplace is tucked into a corner between the joint space. Even though the outcome is amazing, restructuring this fireplace was a small struggle. “Corner fireplaces are never a fantastic idea –,” says Baker. “We needed to minimize the awkward angle of the fireplace yet also bring in color without highlighting it too much” The heavy, textural gray of this tile was shown to be the ideal match for your surround, and it contrasts with the warm hues of this red oak hardwood flooring.
Fireplace surround: Spec Ceramics, Sentousai
Hearth: Ann Sacks, Ozone Metallic
Regan Baker Design Inc..
The fresh and contemporary kitchen is one of Baker’s favorite rooms in the house. “I love the way the graphite penny-round backsplash really frames the view of the bay in the instant you walk in and complements the walnut accents,” she says.
The husband is an avid cook, so having a big and workable kitchen was a must. A deep solitary kitchen sink has been high on the priority list, as were plenty of storage and counterspace.
Counters: soapstone, Integrated Resource
Island counter: Calcutta Oro, Integrated Resource
Regan Baker Design Inc..
The home’s unique mix of textures is especially evident in the kitchen. “Sheen and texture were very important in the color and material choice,” says Baker. “An overabundance of shiny finishes are too retro, and the contrary would be too rustic and not as contemporary. A combination helped marry both styles.”
Stove: 30-inch Viking convection array
Bar stools: Leo pub stool, Room & Board
Refrigerator: Miele KF1800 collection
Subway tile: Rittenhouse Square, DalTile
Regan Baker Design Inc..
Open shelving provides storage and effortless accessibility for frequently used glasses and dishes. The warm Boos walnut shelving plays off the trendy graphite tones of this penny-round backsplash.
Penny rounds: Waterworks
Regan Baker Design Inc..
Architect Miller functioned to optimize the home’s natural light. Like many homes in San Francisco neighborhoods that are close-knit, this one stocks two walls with houses. Getting enough natural light in was certainly an issue, as the north and south walls are the only ones with windows. To solve this, Miller knocked out many of the home’s interior walls to open up the area and put a big skylight in the center of the house.
Regan Baker Design Inc..
A high-gloss reddish gives this custom made desk a retro touch. Baker played glistening paints, fixtures and lighting to bring a couple of subtle mid-century touches into the contemporary design.
Desk: Custom by Mason Miller
Desk paint: Salute, Sherwin Williams
Seat: Enzo Chair, Room & Board
Regan Baker Design Inc..
The contemporary half-bath was outfitted with an off-the-shelf dressing table to offset price and save some time for the team. High- and – low-end tile has been mixed in across the room to extend the budget without scrimping on style. The light fixture is one of Baker’s treasured pieces in the house — the exceptional pendant is a custom combination of three individual fittings from Design Within Reach.
Tile: Pillowed wall tile, Ann Sacks
Lighting fixture: Custom made with E27 Pendant, Design Within Reach
Regan Baker Design Inc..
Baker’s initial decision to depart walls relatively bare was abandoned in a few of the home’s bigger spaces. The patterned background in the bathroom feels present but still has a old-school vibe that works nicely with the rest of the house.
Wallpaper: Winter Trees, Larsen
Regan Baker Design Inc..
Considering that the house didn’t originally have a master suite, figuring out how to configure one on the upper floor has been a challenge. This smaller area was the home’s authentic living room, so every inch counted when squeezing a bedroom and a bath into it.
Interior color: Benjamin Moore, Imperial Gray
Cabinets: Custom Ripple Fold Track Drapery, The Shade Store
Dresser: Anders Dresser, Room & Board
Mirror: Infinity Narrow Mirror, CB2
Wall pendant: BL5, Design Within Reach
Bedding: Dwell Studio
Regan Baker Design Inc..
The client had completed quite a bit of homework on substances for the bathrooms and kitchens. She understood right off the bat she desired glass tile at a matte finish, and scattering Carrara marble. Miller enjoys working with walnut, so it had been used for these custom pieces, which have been created to complement the glass and stonework in the master bath.
Backsplash: Lucian Glass, Ann Sacks
Flooring tile: Black Slate, Waterworks
Vanity counter and tub apron: Statuary Carrara marble slab, Integrated Resource
Tub and shower tile surround: Carrara tile, Integrated Resource
Photography by Odessa
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