Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Vintage San Francisco Flat for Modern Life
Exuberant wallpaper, a remodeled kitchen and a new master suite with a deck enliven an upper-level Victorian condo
The second floor of the house is the client’s main level. The entry opens into a hallway with stairwells. A new staircase goes to the master suite on the upper level. Lum expanded the opening into the dining room on the left. All of the original wooden floors were restained.
The dining room features a vintage-inspired wallpaper called Fruit, originally by Morris & Co., currently updated and distributed through Style Library. The room’s molding and built-in buffet have been painted a mint hue to complement the wallpaper. The antique dining chairs were reupholstered in blue-green leather with stainless steel nailheads outlining the seats in a Greek key pattern.
The homeowner chose a black-and-white base palette for the kitchen, with a bold dark red tile backsplash to add “a zing of color,” Lum says. The wood cabinetry has been painted with white enamel. The trim was designed to match that in the rest of the house. The kitchen opens out onto the second level’s new outdoor deck.
The kitchen also opens into the new den, where the red continues. Grasscloth-covered walls add a cozy feel. Pocket doors between the kitchen and den allow the rooms to be closed off from one another.
On the other side of the dining room is the formal living room. A band of navy blue paint has been added to the walls above the picture rail to add drama and to highlight the room’s high ceiling. The furniture is a mix of new and antique pieces.
The guest bathroom, with its Flower Quince wallpaper in pewter from Clarence House, has a “slightly Japanese flair blended with a Victorian sensibility,” Lum says.
Find traditional floral wallpaper
Find traditional floral wallpaper
The master bath has a subdued gray-blue color palette that gives the room a spa-like feel. The dyed marble floor features a vine-like pattern that brings an organic element into the room. “The pattern reminds me of ferns, but more abstracted,” Lum says. “It has a slightly Moorish sensibility to it.” The skylight is new and brings in plentiful light.
The quiet color palette continues in the master bedroom with its new oak floors, built-in cabinetry and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto a deck. The homeowner “really loved the concept of being able to step out and enjoy the sun and view from the master suite,” Lum says. “The glass doors also bring in lots of light.” The glass doors can be covered with heavy, sumptuous drapes for sleeping.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A single professional woman
Location: San Francisco
Size: 2,222 square feet (206.4 square meters)
Designers: John Lum Architecture (architecture) and William-Christopher Design (interior design)
The homeowner loved the Victorian charm of her two-level upper flat, but she wanted its layout to reflect a more contemporary lifestyle. Her wish list included a refreshed kitchen, an expanded master suite on the home’s top level and two decks to take in views of the San Francisco skyline.
Because the house is listed as a historic building, architect John Lum and his team carefully redesigned the flat to accommodate the client’s lifestyle, making sure the new master suite addition wasn’t higher than the existing roofline and specifying new windows that complied with preservation requirements. They also made sure the interiors reflected “her more contemporary take on Victorians,” Lum says. “She has a wild streak. She’s no shrinking violet.”