A Couple’s Previous Furnishings Assortment Bought a Cool Spin in Their New San Francisco House
Even before they signed the purchase agreement or paid a deposit, Caitlin O’Neill and Sean Weinstock knew who they would be hiring to decorate their new home in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood: Christina Higham of Sun Soul Style Interiors. It didn’t matter that Christina lived in Kauai or that they had just finished renovating their previous home. Two years after their marriage, they knew they needed a bigger apartment. And as for Christina taking the lead from 2,500 miles, the pair were undeterred. The three had a pleasant working relationship: Caitlin and Christina were former colleagues and Sean – a real estate agent – had worked closely with the designer on several client conversions. “Christina helped design our previous home in 2020, and we got her to tour our new one before we even bought it,” says Caitlin, a public policy strategist.
See more
Lauren Edith Andersen
“I find that many potential homeowners often have a hard time recognizing past things that can easily be changed, like outdated finishes or poor color choices,” recalls Christina. But Caitlin and Sean were willing to let her make big changes, and with good reason. When they bought the house, there was a 70’s vibe—wood everywhere, bright orange bathrooms, messy colors. “We really liked that, but it was a lot. We wanted color and texture in a way that felt interesting and cool, comfortable and relaxed,” says Caitlin. Christina’s brief was to modernize things in a way that felt fresh while still retaining and highlighting some of the home’s original features.
Lauren Edith Andersen
Sean and Caitlin spend most of their time in the kitchen. The beautiful black and white marble back walls and counters are the focal point of the area.
Luckily (or unluckily) for Caitlin and Sean, there was a fair amount of furniture from their previous home that needed a new home. “Most of the pieces were new, having been purchased when their home was last renovated in 2020. I really wanted to reinterpret them in this setting, so that they felt like they had been specially curated for this new space,” says Christina. The couple wasn’t so sure. “I had a hard time imagining how they would work in that house,” admits Caitlin. For her and Sean, the bright colors of her previous block felt a little too heavy for her current sensibilities. “Our personal aesthetic had matured a bit, and we wanted this home to be a reflection of that evolution,” Sean suggests.
Lauren Edith Andersen
Luckily, Christina had a few tricks up her sleeve. “I knew the first task was to get rid of the stainless steel in the kitchen. “It felt heavy and dated and was the first thing you saw when you walked into the house,” she says. A few Pinterest searches for “Italian design” gave her the inspiration she needed: marble – lots of it. And while real marble (as opposed to quartz) was an investment, she and the couple realized that for the backsplash and countertops, there really wasn’t anything quite like it. “Each record is absolutely unique and you can’t achieve that with artificial materials. Since we didn’t have to replace the furniture, we all felt it would be a worthwhile investment.”
Lauren Edith Andersen
The alcove under the stairs serves as Sean’s second office space. “The wall units were originally painted yellow, but we decided to incorporate the cobalt here and paint them a bold Klein blue,” Christina says.
Lauren Edith Andersen
Speaking of not replacing, several other features have been retained. Christina decided to keep the checkered tiles in the bathroom while modernizing the elements around it. And while she didn’t overhaul the kitchen cabinets, she refreshed the top with a coat of daisy white. She also painted the cabinets in Sean’s under-stairs office a dazzling Klein Blue. “We had some cobalt-colored art and décor pieces from her previous home,” she notes. “We couldn’t help but marvel at how well they harmonized with the original wood finishes of this home. The combination reminded me of European design, particularly Italian modernism and the use of bright colors. It became the starting point for the [entire] design scheme,” she explains.
Lauren Edith AndersenLauren Edith AndersenLauren Edith AndersenWe were all thrilled to keep the original tiles in the bathroom…Then the contractors pulled up the old vanity and we found the tiles weren’t protruding underneath. I thought how are we ever going to find this tile? I had no idea when it was made or where it came from. I thought we’d take a chance and take a sample to Fireclay Tile in San Francisco. The design gods must have been watching over us because they were almost the exact same color and size. “The color deviation was so slight that you didn’t even notice it,” Christina giggles. The runner is from Block Shop.
Handling the project remotely wasn’t an easy task, so Christina teamed up with stylist Jen MacBeth from California Casa to help with the decor. “I sent Jen photos of the house and she sent a box of great vintage accessories: art, books, glassware. We also did some vintage trips all over San Francisco,” recalls Christina, who also collected vintage novelties from local shops. Aside from a face-to-face on-site visit with Caitlin and Sean, she conducted most of the other meetings via FaceTime. “It just goes to show that the best things can be manifested from anywhere,” she says, laughing.
Lauren Edith AndersenUpstairs guest room is connected to the dining room via folding doors. “This is one of my favorite rooms in the house. I love that it has its own little balcony. Through the windows it feels like sleeping among the trees,” says Christina. The black and white checkered artwork was a last minute find. “The bedroom has big beautiful windows and not a lot of space for art, but I love that that’s the first thing guests see when they wake up.” All the vintage decor is by Stuff. West Elm and Target were the stores of choice for the bedside tables and table lamps, respectively. The bed is by Urban Outfitters.Lauren Edith AndersenThe guest bathroom is decorated in tangerine tones, reflecting the home’s original orange color palette. The art print is by Hype Sheriff, while the side table is by West Elm. Lauren Edith Andersen The wall light and vanity were purchased from Etsy and IKEA, respectively.
