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My Houzz: Contemporary Four-Story Find in San Francisco
Warm woods, earthy hues and original art make a family's cherished San Francisco home inviting
Contributing home tour photographer/writer for Houzz, design enthusiast, blogger and photographer.
Contributing home tour photographer/writer for Houzz, design enthusiast,... More »
When Amelia and Steve Hirsch heard that a home renovated by architect John Maniscalco went on the market, they instantly jumped at the opportunity. The couple have always been drawn toward clean, contemporary design and had long admired Maniscalco's work. They knew they couldn't pass up a chance to own the home, which was designed in 2003 by the esteemed architect, and were happy to skip the hassle of going through a tedious building process.
Amelia is a self-employed interior decorator who focuses on creating clean, livable spaces. And Steve grew up inspired by his mother, Barbara Hirsch, and their extremely modern West Los Angeles home. With their combined interests and backgrounds, the couple created a contemporary, comfortable space suited for their family's lifestyle.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Amelia and Steve Hirsch, and their son Quincy
Location: Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco
Size: 3,100 square feet; 4 stories; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
That's interesting: Quincy went to preschool with the architect's kids.
Amelia is a self-employed interior decorator who focuses on creating clean, livable spaces. And Steve grew up inspired by his mother, Barbara Hirsch, and their extremely modern West Los Angeles home. With their combined interests and backgrounds, the couple created a contemporary, comfortable space suited for their family's lifestyle.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Amelia and Steve Hirsch, and their son Quincy
Location: Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco
Size: 3,100 square feet; 4 stories; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
That's interesting: Quincy went to preschool with the architect's kids.
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by Shannon Malone
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| The home originally had a much cooler color palette, with white walls, blue glass and a metal staircase. Amelia and Steve added warmth by painting yellow accent walls and designing with earthy tones. "For us, the outside inspires the inside," says Amelia. The house features a very open floor plan, and Amelia says one of their biggest challenges was arranging the living room space in a kid-friendly manner that didn't make it resemble a playroom. Built-in shelves keep things organized, furniture helps create individual spaces with both purpose and personality. Couch: Room & Board; rug: one of a kind from ABC Carpet & Home; yellow side table: Propeller |
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| As an interior decorator, Amelia finds it important to design with livability in mind. She designed the space to be appropriate for an active and growing 8-year-old son but to still meet the couple's love of clean lines and clutter-free contemporary design. Couch: Design Within Reach; paint: Cornbread, C2 Paint |
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| The open floor plan is one of the couple's favorite features of their house. They find the space more comfortable and social than homes enclosed by walls. Steve says he loves being able to sit in one room and see all the way to the other end of the house. Leather chairs: B&B Italia |
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| Finding a suitably scaled dining room table was another one of their design dilemmas. They went through three rectangular tables before Steve's mother finally recommended what turned out to be the solution: an oval-shaped table. The Saarinen table's marble surface is custom made, and the table is paired with custom-upholstered Dune chairs by ABC Carpet & Home. Amelia made the banner hanging behind the table out of wrapping paper for Thanksgiving dinner one year, and the family decided to keep it on the wall. "It's how we want to live," says Amelia. |
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The slightly darker earthy hues in the kitchen, along with their son's artwork adorning the refrigerator, make for a warm and welcoming kitchen. The sleek kitchen cabinets are made of Anigre wood.
Rug: ABC Carpet & Home
Rug: ABC Carpet & Home
by Shannon Malone
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Most walls are painted with one of John Maniscalco's favorite colors, White Dove by Benjamin Moore.
The couple purchased the cork vases from Palecek, and the mirror is from San Francisco Bay Area store Harvest Home.
The couple purchased the cork vases from Palecek, and the mirror is from San Francisco Bay Area store Harvest Home.
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by Shannon Malone
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| The hardwood floors throughout the home are jarrah wood. The couple admits the flooring can be high maintenance but consider the choice well worth it. |
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One of the couple's favorite features of Maniscalco's architecture is the way he uses structure to manipulate light. The center of this house has no direct windows, but light comes in through the skylights shining from top to bottom and bouncing off the white walls.
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| A bright yellow Tom Vac rocking chair by Ron Arad from a store in San Francisco adds cheerful color to a staircase landing space and complements artwork by Amelia's mother, JoAnn Hughes. |
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| Warm, earthy tones and clean, contemporary design make for an enticing guest bedroom. Painting: JoAnn Hughes; bed: Crate & Barrel |
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| "Quincy has the best room in the house," jokes Amelia. The 8-year-old's room is full of sunshine, toys and kid-friendly art. Amelia advises parents to use large pieces of artwork such as this print in children's rooms. "It declutters the walls with one large focal point, rather than various scattered pieces, which can distract from the overall design of the room," she says. Bed: Custom upholstered from Room & Board; beanbag chair: Pottery Barn |
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One of Maniscalco's signature architecture features is his use of built-in storage. These built-in units are found throughout the home and are the perfect solution to the daily clutter of a busy family. "I like clean, clutter-free spaces," says Amelia.
Bed: Room & Board
Bed: Room & Board
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| "We feel like we are on vacation when we are in our bedroom," says the couple. With gorgeous views surrounding the master bedroom, Amelia and Steve can relax and watch the sun rise and set. |
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Outside of the master bedroom is a small deck that overlooks San Francisco. "We love this city," says Steve. "It has great outdoor spaces, and I love the accessibility. I walk to and from work every day."
Amelia found this one-of-a kind patio table at a local store.
Amelia found this one-of-a kind patio table at a local store.
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| The couple didn't make any changes to the master bathroom. The beautiful built-in storage unit and contemporary double sinks keep the space organized and relaxing. |
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| Introducing art into the home was a way for the couple to make the space their own. Although they are thrilled to be "done" with the house, they say they still would like to add more art. The painting hanging above the bathtub is another unique piece by JoAnn Hughes. |
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The top loft floor of the home was originally meant to be used as an office space, but the bottom floor became the office and gym, and this space was turned into a media room and playroom instead. A glass floor leads the way to the room, fully equipped with a flat-screen TV, a quirky couch with detachable pieces and Steve's electric guitar. It also leads to an amazing outdoor deck.
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| One of the major renovations was the construction of decks and patios. The couple converted the original rooftop into a scenic wooden patio overlooking the city and the bay, with glass siding for safety. Patio furniture: Room & Board |
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| The downstairs space doubles as a home office and a gym. It leads to the rear deck. Desks: Custom made by Room & Board |
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The contemporary, clean-lined rear exterior of the home is a great representation of Maniscalco's aesthetic. The original home was identical to their neighbor's traditional San Francisco house but was completely renovated by Maniscalco to give it a fresh, new look.
by Shannon Malone
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The front exterior is much more traditional than most Maniscalco homes, but the couple added the metal railing and larger street numbers "to give it a little edge," says Steve.
Comments
zedjafri This house is incredibly done. Good job!
13 months ago · Like
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marmarmish The rooftop deck has the most spectacular views!! The whole house is gorgeous. I love seeing homes that I can fall in love with - even when they are not my usual style.
13 months ago · Like
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Joni Koenig Interiors Thanks Shannon! Have two young kids so I too like the tasteful mix of bright color and playful artwork throughout--not just limited to Quincy's bedroom.
13 months ago · Like
lorig3833 Blown away by this house. Perfection!
13 months ago · Like
louiselib The yellow rocker is NOT from Knoll. The gorgeous piece is, I believe, the Tom Vac rocking chair.
13 months ago · Like
choiceinteriors I love the mats/rugs under the task chairs in the office... Can you share where those came from?
13 months ago · Like
Bowden Carroll Design Beautiful and full of personality. What a great home to grow up in.
13 months ago · Like
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beauteeme I like the openess of the house
13 months ago · Like
janean62 Where can I get that print in the boys room? The one with the guitar and bird.
13 months ago · Like
paulaj Interesting that an electronic keyboard makes the photos.....in most decorating photos, the presence of a TV or anything electronic, (or even a spinet piano) except a computer in the office seems not to exist. Almost as though it's just not done.
13 months ago · Like
Alina Love this space! So beautiful, warm and inviting!
13 months ago · Like
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doornink1 Love the house. Love, love the glass floor, the bathroom with the color is beautiful. The whole house is lite and airy - but the wonderful wood warms it and pulls it all together. The view with morning coffee - ahhh, living the dream!
8 months ago · Like
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Ideabook updated on April 16, 2012.
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