Still giddy over seeing my Glen Park project in Architectural Digest last week, I thought I'd pull back the curtain and share a bit more about the process of transforming this home!
The homeowners Sean and Caitlin were repeat clients - we worked together on their previous home in San Francisco's Mission District in 2020. After a few years they realized they wanted more space, and a bit more peace and quiet - which is what attracted them to San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood, a cozy enclave nestled up in the hills of Glen Canyon Park.
Sean and Caitlin's previous home in San Francisco's Mission District
Photography by Vivian Johnson
Photography by Vivian Johnson
Photography by Vivian Johnson
Their previous home was a classic San Francisco Victorian - so architecturally very different from this new property. Before even putting in an offer, they reached out to see if I could come by to take a look to see if I thought it had potential - Caitlin was concerned with both the homes aesthetic potential and if their furniture, which they had invested quite a bit on only a few years prior, would work in this new space. Sean and Caitlin were open to doing cosmetic renovations but did not want to purchase a house that needed a complete overall.
The Glen Park Kitchen Before:
When you walk in the home the first thing you see is the kitchen - I immediately knew that this was the first and most major area we would need to tackle. It had great bones - I actually loved the original wood paneling on the cabinets and the visible grain, but the stainless steel felt heavy and dated. I find that a lot of potential homeowners often have a hard time seeing past things that can be easily changed, like dated finishes or poor paint choices - so much so that it can deter them from making an offer.
Guest Bedroom Before
I also felt that the upstairs guest room which was connected and visible from the dining room and entry, needed to be closed off for privacy.
Guest bathroom before
The bathrooms were another area that Sean and Caitlin were concerned about. Not wanting to do a full gut renovation, they were a bit intimidated by the mix of the dated wood vanity with the loud checker tile.
When I walked into this bathroom I knew one thing - that tile had to stay! Between all of the wood finishes throughout the home and the orange tile, I was picking up on an Italian Modernist vibe - bold pops of color amidst lots of beautiful wood finishes. We carried these pops of color throughout the home - with the orange tile in the bathrooms and the cobalt accents throughout the decor.
The downstairs before
Primary Bedroom Before
As you walked downstairs we found some less than ideal carpeting and an interesting under-the-stairs office nook. I knew we would need to add hardwood flooring down here and add potentially paint the upper cabinets in the office nook.
The kitchen after
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
We decided to paint the upper cabinets in the kitchen white to break up all of the wood elements, and found an incredible marble slab to serve as countertop and backsplash. While marble is more of an investment than quartz and a bit higher maintenance, each piece is unique and it really adds something special to the home - plus it patina's beautifully over time. I found these rad Cedar and Moss cobalt light fixtures - we had selected a lot of art pieces in their previous home with touches of this cobalt hue and I felt like it paired really nicely with the wood.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
We repurposed the sofa, coffee table and art from Sean and Caitlin's previous home - but paired it with a new checkered Moroccan rug to create a fresh look.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Bifold doors were added to separate the dining room from the guest bedroom. We repurposed Sean and Caitlin's dining furniture from their previous home, giving it a new identity with vintage art and accessories.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
The guest bedroom is one of my favorite rooms in the house - it feels like you're sleeping in a tree house amidst the panoramic views of the city.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
We kept the amazing tile in the bathroom - replacing the vanity with a simple IKEA floating vanity and changing out the vanity mirror and adding some very cool Mid Century sconces.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
The primary bathroom similarly had some amazing vintage tile - but when we pulled up the old vanity we found that sadly the tile did not extend underneath. Unsure of what to do given that I had no idea where this tile was from, we brought a sample to Fireclay Tile in San Francisco. The design Gods must have been smiling down on us that day, because they had a huge that was literally the exact same shade as the original!
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
We carried the cobalt blue from some of the decor upstairs down into office nook -giving the cabinetry a coat of this amazing Klein Blue paint.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
This room was a bonus room - sitting downstairs across from the primary bedroom, it will likely serve as a nursery in the future, but for now serves as an office for Caitlin. We wanted to keep this space flexible so we repurposed a lot of pieces from their previous home, adding vintage art and rugs to give it a punch of personality.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
Photography by Sen Creative. Styling by California Casa.
The primary bedroom felt so much more elevated with the addition of hardwood floors. The rug was a custom piece from Beni Rugs and really set the tone for the rest of the decor. I enlisted the incredibly talented Jen Mac Beth from California Casa to work her styling magic when we shot the home (Sean and Caitlin kept every accessory!) and she found the amazing Picasso prints we hung above the bed. My favorite detail in this space are the french doors opening up to the patio - it feels so European!
Product Sources:
Living Room: Moroccan Checker Rug, Cisco Home Radley Sectional, Rejuvenation Floor Lamp, Urban Outfitters Coffee Table (Sold Out Similar Here)
Dining room: Bobby Berk Bauer Cabinet (Sold Out Similar Here),
Primary Bedroom: Beni Rugs rug, Lulu and Georgia Platform Bed, CB2 Table Lamp , Sarah Sherman Samuel for Lulu and Georgia Velvet Disc Pillow , Cultiver Linen Bedding
Office: West Elm Parsons Desk , Anthropologie Velvet Sculptural Chair , Nickel Task Lamp, CB2 Floor Lamp (sold out similar here), West Elm Mid Century Dresser, Checkered Tile Side Table
