Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Soothing Elegance in San Francisco
Muted colors and understated patterns give a home near the water a quiet sophistication
The owner of this home, in San Francisco’s Marina District, had operated it as a rental property for years. When she decided to use it as her city home, she tapped interior designer Angela Free to make it personal. Free says her client has sophisticated tastes; she reflected them with an interior done in muted colors with references to nature in every room.
On the other side of the room, a sofa and an armchair provide more seating. The designer dressed the backs of the nearby shelves with blue paint, and added books and plants. “I like to add plants to shelves,” she says. “It breaks up the grid structure with something organic.”
Free also used dashes of yellow in the pillows to brighten the palette. “The yellow warms things up, and it looks great with blue,” she says.
Sofa, chair, pillows: custom; coffee table: Antoine Proulx; dark finished side table: Hal, William Earle; floor lamps, tripod table: vintage
Free also used dashes of yellow in the pillows to brighten the palette. “The yellow warms things up, and it looks great with blue,” she says.
Sofa, chair, pillows: custom; coffee table: Antoine Proulx; dark finished side table: Hal, William Earle; floor lamps, tripod table: vintage
In the adjacent dining room, a table base crafted from tentacle-like strangler fig vines adds a rustic element, tempered by elegant chairs with cotton velvet seats.
Floor lamps are not often found in dining rooms, but this room has two. “I really like the low ambient light a lamp provides,” says Free.
The artwork, a photograph of umbrella-filled Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, adds another touch of yellow.
Photograph: “Ipanema Beach,” by Brian Hodges; rug: Hans Lenkert; dining chairs, table: custom; Ziyi Chandelier, Circa; floor lamps: Lotus, Circa
Floor lamps are not often found in dining rooms, but this room has two. “I really like the low ambient light a lamp provides,” says Free.
The artwork, a photograph of umbrella-filled Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, adds another touch of yellow.
Photograph: “Ipanema Beach,” by Brian Hodges; rug: Hans Lenkert; dining chairs, table: custom; Ziyi Chandelier, Circa; floor lamps: Lotus, Circa
The kitchen was once divided into a cooking space and breakfast room, and had doors that connected it to other parts of the home. Working with architect Thayer Hopkins, Free made it one long space and removed the potential for a slapstick scene. “The doors were placed in such a way that if they were all opened at the same time, they would crash into each other,” she says. “Plus, they really limited the cabinetry opportunities.” Now the kitchen is connected to the dining room via a single large entrance.
The plentiful cabinets are painted blue. “It seems like everyone wants a white kitchen,” says Free. “We certainly considered that, but painting them blue continues the conversation started in the rest of the house.”
Cabinetry: custom; cabinet paint: Cookham Grey, Christopher Peacock; light fixtures: Large Hicks Pendant, Circa
The plentiful cabinets are painted blue. “It seems like everyone wants a white kitchen,” says Free. “We certainly considered that, but painting them blue continues the conversation started in the rest of the house.”
Cabinetry: custom; cabinet paint: Cookham Grey, Christopher Peacock; light fixtures: Large Hicks Pendant, Circa
A diminutive powder room calls for a small sink; this one is backed by blue tiles. The wallpaper creates the illusion of a vine-covered trellis.
Mirror: Stephen Antonson; wallpaper: XXL TP, Elitis; sink: WS Bath Collections
Mirror: Stephen Antonson; wallpaper: XXL TP, Elitis; sink: WS Bath Collections
The master bedroom color and material palettes were sparked by the fabric that covers the headboard. It’s paired with linens that have a Celtic knot motif.
Bed, bedding: custom; headboard fabric: Manyara, Donghia
Bed, bedding: custom; headboard fabric: Manyara, Donghia
A lamp with a base made to look like the long legs of a water bird is a whimsical touch.
Table lamp: Decayed Gold Duck Feet, Porto Romana; side table: West Paces Side Table, Hickory Chair
Table lamp: Decayed Gold Duck Feet, Porto Romana; side table: West Paces Side Table, Hickory Chair
The master bath needed a storage boost, so Free created a vanity with many drawers. “Except for the top-center drawer, all of them function,” she says.
Hanging pendants accented by crystal balls are a little something special. “Maybe we could have done sconces with mirrored bases,” says Free. “But this seemed fresher.”
Cabinetry: custom; cabinet paint: Arctic Gray, Benjamin Moore; tile: Walker Zanger; light fixtures: Zia Priven
Hanging pendants accented by crystal balls are a little something special. “Maybe we could have done sconces with mirrored bases,” says Free. “But this seemed fresher.”
Cabinetry: custom; cabinet paint: Arctic Gray, Benjamin Moore; tile: Walker Zanger; light fixtures: Zia Priven
Space is tight in the entry, so Free recycled marble from the old fireplace surround to create a narrow ledge just wide enough to drop a set of keys on.
Janice Minor Porcupine Quill Mirror: Horchow
Janice Minor Porcupine Quill Mirror: Horchow
The hallways are also narrow, and doors mean there is not much room to display art. So Free painted the doors a glossy blue and installed lattice-like light fixtures. “It gives the narrow space a lot of interest,” she says.
This is a home where the colors and finishes speak softly, but the message of elegance comes through loud and clear.
Pendants: Confetti Cube; door paint: Carbon, Christopher Peacock
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More: My Houzz: Quirky Charm on Aussie Farmland
This is a home where the colors and finishes speak softly, but the message of elegance comes through loud and clear.
Pendants: Confetti Cube; door paint: Carbon, Christopher Peacock
Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Eclectic Homes | Modern Homes | Contemporary Homes | Midcentury Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Barn Homes | Townhouses |Apartments | Lofts | Vacation Homes
More: My Houzz: Quirky Charm on Aussie Farmland
Houzz at a Glance
Size: 2,500 square feet (232 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Location: San Francisco
To make the living room suitable for large and small gatherings, Free visually divided the space with a vintage bench. On one side is a cozy arrangement meant for fireside chats; the other is set up for larger groups.
The armchairs by the fireplace, selected for their big style and slim silhouette, started life as off-the-shelf items from CB2. The metal arms and legs were then powder coated in white, and new leather upholstery and bolsters were added, for a semi-custom look.
Before the remodel, the fireplace had a black marble surround. “The firebox is tiny,” says Free. “It’s the size you would expect to find in a Victorian home.” She replaced the wood-burning fireplace with a gas model outfitted with a cannonball insert, and gave the feature more presence with large limestone tiles and a frame-like mantel. The artwork, done by a descendant of Samurai sword makers, is a sheet of metal with lines that recall a gray horizon.
Blue painted niches on either side of the fireplace emphasize it as the focal point. Prior to the remodel, they held pedestrian cabinetry. Now, with the addition of simple shelving and pendant lights, they’re an art display space. Rustic pottery pieces by Laura Kirar are elevated by Plexiglas stands and bases and highlighted by pendant lamps. “We often have these kinds of stands made for artwork,” says Free. “Lifting the pieces up from the shelves a bit makes them stand out.”
Artwork: Miya Ando; rug: Kravet; chairs: Specs, CB2 (redone as noted); mirrors: Katie, Bradley; light fixture: Paavo Pendant, Shine Labs; pottery: Laura Kirar; blue paint: Gibralter Cliffs, Benjamin Moore; white paint: Albescent, Benjamin Moore