Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Sleek San Francisco Getaway
Spectacular Views Inspire a Renovation 'Full of Promise and Theater'
When San Francisco architect Mark English came upon this two bedroom/two bath apartment in The Fontana, its 1960s interior was intact, including old carpet, acoustic ceiling tiles, cheap sheetrock and hollow-core doors. He and his clients were able to see past all of that to the incredible views of The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the shore of Tiburon. Anxious for a change from their Tuscan-style home, the clients were ready to have a sexy, high-end resort kind of getaway in the city. After a complete renovation, the end result is a sleek and exciting pied-a-terre with carefully thought out texture and color palettes, clever storage solutions, design moves that make the space feel larger than it is — and a plan that exploits every opportunity to enjoy the spectacular views.
The plan is centered around an oval living room. The shape creates affinities between the interior's lines and the greater context beyond its walls, such as the shape of the building, breakwaters in the port below, and the cable arches of the Golden Gate bridge. "More to the point, the oval is a sexy shape full of promise and theater," he says.
Choosing a white floor was a no-brainer for English, as he knew it would add elegance and help counter the limited ceiling heights. The floors are 18" square Polar White marble over hydronic radiant heating.
With the white floor decision made, English's next move was hitting the stone yard with his clients in search of a "an entry wall that would really wow." They came across this stone, a Laurentian Green granite from Canada with giant crystals that flash iridescent color when lit.
Now armed with the glossy white floor and this greenish-blue stone wall, his next choice was to "go to the other side of the color wheel," where he found the deep orange hue of the ultrasuede sofas.
The ultrasuede upholstery on the sofa as well as the plush oval rug introduce soft elements to the glossy space, and the stripes of varying hues on the rug add a few straight lines to the room's major curves.
The finish on the curved wall is an integrally colored Venetian plaster, very finely applied, with a wax finish that enhances the gloss.
The ultrasuede upholstery on the sofa as well as the plush oval rug introduce soft elements to the glossy space, and the stripes of varying hues on the rug add a few straight lines to the room's major curves.
The finish on the curved wall is an integrally colored Venetian plaster, very finely applied, with a wax finish that enhances the gloss.
English's plans maximize the views from the public space in the apartment. Thus, a hallway between the master bedroom and the living room was eliminated, and now the a wider view can be enjoyed from the living room.
Wondering about privacy for the bedroom? If you look very carefully at this picture, you will spot a translucent door's track on the ceiling. "Holding the curving wall down from the ceiling allows all spaces to share the natural light, and to help the wall and the sofa read as a unit. Privacy is not much of a concern in a weekend space."
While full of shiny glossy surfaces, the textural palette includes soft touches as well, such as this tufted headboard and matching bedding.
The dramatic height of the headboard extends the eye vertically and the strict white palette makes the space appear larger.
The back of the limestone entry wall plays an integral role in the master bath, and the wall on the right side of the photograph is the back of the living room's curved wall, also treated in a Venetian plaster finish. The sink is cast glass, and was made by Kohler.
Tip: Consider a floating vanity. "Spaces always look bigger if the horizontal planes (floors and ceilings) can be seen all the way to the perimeter. For instance, furniture and cabinets that are wall-hung or on legs allow you to see the floor as a whole."
Tip: Consider a floating vanity. "Spaces always look bigger if the horizontal planes (floors and ceilings) can be seen all the way to the perimeter. For instance, furniture and cabinets that are wall-hung or on legs allow you to see the floor as a whole."
Thoughtful lighting strategies are an integral part of English's designs. "I believe in focusing lighting on vertical surfaces, and occasionally elements of furniture. So generally, the recessed lighting is striking the plaster featured wall, paintings, or Carlos Santana guitar! But in this space we've also turned the curving sofa base itself into a glowing light fixture (the sofa sits atop a lighted plinth), and picked out the oval ceiling with cove lighting, using LED tape lighting."
From this angle we get a peek into the galley kitchen. The wood cabinet on the right side you see in the background adds a subtle nautical touch; it's gloss-finished teak, similar to what you would see on a boat.
One of the many luxuries of a pied-a-terre is that you don't need a lot of kitchen storage. English always uses a questionnaire with his clients to determine their storage needs before he starts designing.
After determining the clients' storage needs, English set out to transform the existing "chopped up and distracting" 1960s kitchen into "a sleek, simple-looking kitchen where everything is in its place." He accomplished this by approaching the cabinet design and arrangement as a chance to create "inhabited walls" as opposed to giving the cabinets the look of discreet design elements. Note how the glossy lacquer of the cabinets beyond the vent hood form one block that doesn't stand out. Also, the cabinets hide the kind of materials that can chop up a space, such as pipes and other structural elements.
Here's another example of the "inhabited wall." I barely noticed all of the storage in this area upon first glance because the cabinets form a wall that reflects the natural light.
The Random Light adds texture while keeping with the strategy of using white to make the ceilings appear higher.
The Random Light adds texture while keeping with the strategy of using white to make the ceilings appear higher.
Here's a glimpse of the view from the eat-in end of the kitchen. The high stools allow for a better sightline over the balcony wall outside.
Here you can see the curve of the building that helped inspire the curved wall and oval shape in the interior.
In contrast to the white master bedroom, which draws the eye vertically, the second bedroom emphasizes horizontal planes through the paprika-colored lacquer headboard/nighstand piece and the long painting. "Our office designed both of the beds as platform storage beds and works of sculpture in their own right. The rooms are a bit small, and combining furniture pieces into one made sense."
I love to see how a sketch can come to life. From this rough original plan you can see how English's initial impulse was guided by the views and how the rooms relate to one another. The result is a very efficient use of space, where the interior design materials and details make the space appear much larger than it really is.
Thanks so much to Mark English for sharing this dream apartment with us! See more of his projects.
Next: Browse more home design photos
Thanks so much to Mark English for sharing this dream apartment with us! See more of his projects.
Next: Browse more home design photos
Case in point: English realized a wall was blocking the view of the Golden Gate bridge from the entry, and that the "humdrum layout" was not celebrating the dazzling views from the apartment. His first move was to start knocking down walls and opening up the entryway and living room to as much of the view as possible.