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Houzz Tour: San Francisco Victorian Opens Up
Between career stops at a lifestyle magazine and now at a major home furnishings retailer, and owning a 1915 bungalow whose repair situation was once described as akin to playing Wack-A-Mole, I've spent a lot of time considering home design ideas. Sometimes I'm surprised by the things that capture my attention.
Between career stops at a lifestyle magazine and now at a major home furnishings... More »
San Francisco's Feldman Architecture faced a few challenges when they took on the project of converting this two-flat building into a single-family home. The original design centered around long hallways void of natural light (a common problem among the city's classic Victorian homes); the renovation needed to invite in as much sunshine as possible. The property had almost no backyard, and the client wanted outdoor living space. The redesign needed to open it all up and make it flow well for a family with young children. Here's what they did:
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| The bedrooms are on the entry floor, and the living areas are above where they can soak up the most natural light.
The entire top floor was opened up, with skylights, steel beams and a bright white kitchen to create a feeling of spaciousness. "The kitchen is the heart of the household," says Jonathan Feldman, "so it was important to keep it all flowing together." |
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| "There was a big blank wall to the south, where we added all these huge windows," says Feldman. The result is a family room that feels expansive. |
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| Feldman designed a rooftop garden that is accessed from the kitchen/family areas, so it is truly part of the home's central living space—a considerable accomplishment in a house whose ground-level yard is roughly eight feet wide. |
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| The built-in media cabinet and shelving is crafted of richly toned chechen wood; the built-in was not extended to the ceiling in order to leave room for more windows above. Also, note how the entire wall of the breakfast nook opens to the rooftop garden. |
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| The open glass-and-steel staircase with a skylight above means the stairs have an almost ladder-like feel—and they don't create any shadowy nooks beneath. |
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"We did something that is not specific to our design philosophy," which is generally contemporary, says Feldman. "We tried an integrating holistic approach, mixing old and new. We wanted everything to relate to the old, yet have a crisp freshness." This was in deference both to the home's Victorian architecture and to the wishes of the client; the wife had more traditional taste, and the husband was drawn to contemporary designs.
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A built-in office off the living room has a sliding wall that can conceal electronics and other equipment when they're not in use.
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| "We needed to create places to store all of the clutter that comes with kids," Feldman says. Built-in shelves and drawers beneath the inviting window seat in the kids' playroom were essential. |
Comments
Pat Lukes I've been bonkers about this house for a very long time and see that you've added some new shots that I did not have in my photo idea file. Love everything about this renovation.
2 years ago · Like
midmodfan Whenever I see photos on Houzz which I really love - I mean REALLY love -, I can almost bet they are by Feldman. Although my personal taste is much more contemporary, I do appreciate the result of this remodeling project. Old and new very nicely mixed indeed.
2 years ago · Like
Becky Harris midmod, the ones I love are often by Feldman as well. They've been on Houzz since the beginning and I go back to them again and again. I"ve been admiring this house for awhile - so glad to learn more about it!
2 years ago · Like
dancingfish Amazing roof garden!! and the full door to reach it!!
2 years ago · Like
nickimckeever Being a native to SF I still have a very difficult time seeing renovations such as this done on classic Victorians. There is only one area of the home that any way resembles this homes true natural structure and that is the view inside facing the front door(staircase not included). Though the work is beautiful, it can no longer be classified as a true Victorian. It, in my opinion, has been completely ruined.
2 years ago · Like
sarabrown Loved your family room:)
2 years ago · Like
Ideabook published on Nov. 21, 2010.
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