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Traditional Elements Warm a Contemporary Penthouse With Views
A designer brings classic comfort to this San Francisco condo with antique rugs, custom furniture and original art
The San Francisco penthouse this couple recently purchased is located in the city’s famed Nob Hill neighborhood, and it features sweeping bay views from the top floor of its 1932 apartment building. The penthouse was remodeled by the previous owners before being listed, and it has a sleek new kitchen and master bathroom, teak-paneled walls and cold-rolled-steel built-ins.
The couple’s main residence, also in the Bay Area, is a traditional-style home, but they were open to something more contemporary for their pied-à-terre — they just didn’t want it to feel cold and unwelcoming. Designer Alden Miller was brought in to warm up the space with a mix of classic furnishings and original art.
The couple’s main residence, also in the Bay Area, is a traditional-style home, but they were open to something more contemporary for their pied-à-terre — they just didn’t want it to feel cold and unwelcoming. Designer Alden Miller was brought in to warm up the space with a mix of classic furnishings and original art.
The sleek new kitchen has flush-overlay cabinets with integrated finger pulls that create a streamlined look. All of the appliances are hidden behind custom panels.
“The kitchen was designed to blend into the background,” Miller says. “So we kept true to that vision and didn’t add anything to the space.”
“The kitchen was designed to blend into the background,” Miller says. “So we kept true to that vision and didn’t add anything to the space.”
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The kitchen opens directly to the dining room. To the left, a partition wall made of cold-rolled steel separates the living room. To the right, the wall includes an alcove window wrapped in teak.
Miller says the custom LED light fixture made of unlacquered brass set the tone for the dining room. “It’s a modern piece, but it still brings in the warmth of brass and doesn’t distract from the ornate ceiling,” she says.
The custom teak dining table has an inset strip of brass in the center that mimics the look of the light fixture. Iridescent gray fabric on the dining chairs coordinates with the cold-rolled-steel wall. The original painting on the back wall is a piece titled California Delta by Mark Bowles.
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Miller says the custom LED light fixture made of unlacquered brass set the tone for the dining room. “It’s a modern piece, but it still brings in the warmth of brass and doesn’t distract from the ornate ceiling,” she says.
The custom teak dining table has an inset strip of brass in the center that mimics the look of the light fixture. Iridescent gray fabric on the dining chairs coordinates with the cold-rolled-steel wall. The original painting on the back wall is a piece titled California Delta by Mark Bowles.
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“My clients showed me pictures of the living room when it was staged and it was filled with sleek, contemporary furniture,” Miller says. “They wanted something more cozy and classic, but didn’t want it to look out of place.”
Miller went with comfortable, transitional furniture covered in fabrics that share a similar color palette and blend into the more modern surroundings. “The fabric colors are a mix of dusty coral and burnt tangerine,” she says. “They pick up the reddish brown hues of the teak built-ins.”
Miller went with comfortable, transitional furniture covered in fabrics that share a similar color palette and blend into the more modern surroundings. “The fabric colors are a mix of dusty coral and burnt tangerine,” she says. “They pick up the reddish brown hues of the teak built-ins.”
Strings of glass Bocci lights hung from the ceiling provide an ethereal glow at night and a minimalist look during the day that doesn’t distract from the ornate ceiling and stunning water views.
The antique gilt-framed mirror above the sofa is a piece previously owned by the homeowners. “I was worried that the mirror might reflect the built-ins and TV on the opposite wall, but the room is angled in such a way that it reflects the water views, which is ideal,” Miller says.
The antique gilt-framed mirror above the sofa is a piece previously owned by the homeowners. “I was worried that the mirror might reflect the built-ins and TV on the opposite wall, but the room is angled in such a way that it reflects the water views, which is ideal,” Miller says.
The master bedroom features a custom bed covered in a shimmering peach fabric with a repeating half-moon pattern. A trio of silk floral-patterned throw pillows adds a traditional touch.
In front of the window is a double-sided chaise covered in peach cotton velvet. “The peach picks up the warm hues of the teak that can be found in the window alcove,” Miller says.
In front of the window is a double-sided chaise covered in peach cotton velvet. “The peach picks up the warm hues of the teak that can be found in the window alcove,” Miller says.
The new master bathroom is another room that Miller left unchanged. Statuary marble covers the walls, floor and tub surround. The double vanity has a teak base, engineered quartz countertop and marble inset sinks.
The guest bedroom features an original exposed brick wall that Miller played off of by adding a custom headboard and a pair of swivel chairs covered in orange crushed velvet. An antique Turkish Oushak rug also adds character to the space.
The guest room includes a midcentruy-style writing desk made of stained ash, paired with a sleek leather desk chair. Above the desk, four graphic woven panels by artist Susie Taylor complete the stylish scene.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with adult children
Location: San Francisco
Size: 1,500 square feet (139 square meters)
Designer: Alden Miller Interiors
The elaborate original front door opens to a foyer with a teak-paneled feature wall and ceiling. Polished dark limestone tiles cover the floor. To the left of the foyer is the living room and to the right are the kitchen and dining room.
An antique Turkish Hereke area rug warms up the minimalist foyer. “The rug colors pick up on the reddish brown teak walls and add a traditional touch that help balance the space,” Miller says.