One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small. If houses came with a soundtrack, the groove for this historic San Francisco manse would surely be psychedelic. Radically reimagined by AD100 designer Nicole Hollis, the mind-bending abode pays tribute to the city’s progressive cultural legacy as well as the audacious tastes of Hollis’s clients. “It’s Grateful Dead meets Burning Man meets Marrakech meets Victorian posh, with a generous dose of contemporary design and art,” Hollis says, tracing the elaborate web of influences that converge in this hallucinatory vision of modern hippie-luxe. “I wanted to bring rock and roll into the life of the house, not just as an applied gloss but as part of its DNA,” she adds.

Less florid than San Francisco’s Victorian-era Painted Ladies, the Colonial Revival-style home was designed by architect Edward John Vogel and built in 1897. Its location in the storied Haight-Ashbury district placed the house at the rainbow-bright center of 1960s counterculture , the era when Gene Estribou, a previous homeowner, opened a recording studio on the dwelling’s attic level. The Grateful Dead laid down some of their earliest tracks there, as did Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steve Miller Band, and other mandarins of the San Francisco sound.

“The clients really pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and into their world,” says designer Nicole Hollis.

The kitchen is outfitted with a Martino Gamper table and chairs, vintage Moroccan pendants, a backsplash of zellige tiles, a Gaggenau oven, Waterworks fixtures, and a custom bronze hood.

Working with Richard Beard Architects, Hollis completely transformed the house, essentially demolishing the interiors and reinventing them with a greater sense of symmetry as well as accommodations for a contemporary kitchen and generous baths and closets. Beard also designed a trim modern addition to the back of the house for the new kitchen and family room on the main level, a bar and screening room below, and bedrooms on the floor above. “The primary façades—the front and one of the sides—were sacred, so that part of the program was more of a pure restoration,” Beard explains. “For the interior, we didn’t want to ape Colonial Revival or any other period style, but we tried to be sympathetic to the original structure in terms of proportions and materials. Nicole and the clients had already established a singular aesthetic for the house, and our job was to help fulfill the vision.”

“I wanted to bring rock and roll into the life of the house, not just as an applied gloss but as part of its DNA.”

That aesthetic was nothing short of sensational. Drawing on the combined talents of craftspeople from around the globe, Hollis and her team detailed the rooms with a staggering array of bespoke architectural details and decorative appliqués that nod to the clients’ obsession with rock and roll and hippie drug culture, their fascination with traditional Moroccan design, and their seemingly unquenchable thirst for dazzling color and pattern. Those passions found expression in plaster moldings carved with marijuana leaves and peace symbols; intricate trelliswork and grilles handmade in Morocco; a comprehensive program of custom bronze hardware, made by the Belgian company Van Cronenburg, which incorporates motifs of pot leaves, mushrooms, and hearts, interpreted in a redolent language of Eastlake style and the Aesthetic Movement; and a spectacular range of decorative painting and finishes executed by Los Angeles–based Londubh Studio, including glow-in-the-dark stenciling in the wife’s kaleidoscopic dressing room and images drawn from vintage acid tabs that appear in the decorative borders in the husband’s trippy office.

The post Step Inside a Radically Reimagined San Francisco Stunner Designed by Nicole Hollis | Architectural Digest appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The charming and modern-traditional aesthetic was informed by Jessica’s extensive collection of antique furniture and lighting. One of her prized possessions, a patinated metal and butcher block console, anchors the kitchenette as an island. It’s paired with Shaker-style cabinets, a marble farmhouse sink, and aged brass hardware, all by DeVol. “The quality is incredible, and they’ve always been an inspiration for me,” Hana says. “To be able to use them was really special. They have a very English feel.”

One half of the expansive L-shaped counter is made of chocolate-hued wood, and the other is composed of unsealed soapstone. The latter natural surface was chosen for its durability, as it extends through the bifold window to create an al fresco bar and therefore must withstand the notoriously foggy Bay Area weather. “Soapstone is a material that just can survive anything,” Hana says.

The adjacent living area is primed for parties with a comfortable Timothy Oulton sectional that’s big enough to seat a crowd. Its light blue linen upholstery intentionally enhances the Bess Friday Shanghai Fashion Week photograph that hangs above. “We thought it looked really complementary and just wanted something playful down here because it is supposed to be a fun, not precious area,” Hana reasons. “We didn’t want to go with a white sofa.”

BEFORE: Before clearing the basement out, it felt quite cluttered.

The post How a Grungy San Francisco Basement Turned a Modern English Cottage | Architectural Digest appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

After years of serving as a rental unit, the third level of a 1906 San Francisco town house was finally purchased by a couple who deeply appreciates its Victorian architecture. But before they could enjoy the bay windows, patinated hardwood floors, and ornate molding, they needed to peel back layers of haphazard updates. Interior designer Clara Jung stepped in to refresh the home, highlighting the original details while adding a cool-toned contemporary edge.

BEFORE: Original bay windows provide treetop views.

“The clients wanted to bring it back to life, but, obviously, overlay a modern take on it,” explains the Banner Day Interiors founder and principal. “We weren’t going to recreate historically accurate elements, like tiles and trim, but we wanted to pay homage and make sure that the new look integrated well with what was left of existing features.”

Clara also maintained the traditional layout of the long, narrow footprint. It’s separated into distinct rooms, aside from the blended kitchen-dining-living area. The previous owners had knocked down dividing walls to create an open-concept social hub, which Clara gladly embraced. “Honestly, there was no structural work done,” she reveals—but the transformation was still dramatic.

The post Shades of Blue and Inexperienced Rejuvenate This San Francisco Victorian Home | Architectural Digest appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The charming and modern-traditional aesthetic was informed by Jessica’s extensive collection of antique furniture and lighting. One of her prized possessions, a patinated metal and butcher block console, anchors the kitchenette as an island. It’s paired with Shaker-style cabinets, a marble farmhouse sink, and aged brass hardware, all by DeVol. “The quality is incredible, and they’ve always been an inspiration for me,” Hana says. “To be able to use them was really special. They have a very English feel.”

One half of the expansive L-shaped counter is made of chocolate-hued wood, and the other is composed of unsealed soapstone. The latter natural surface was chosen for its durability, as it extends through the bifold window to create an al fresco bar and therefore must withstand the notoriously foggy Bay Area weather. “Soapstone is a material that just can survive anything,” Hana says.

The adjacent living area is primed for parties with a comfortable Timothy Oulton sectional that’s big enough to seat a crowd. Its light blue linen upholstery intentionally enhances the Bess Friday Shanghai Fashion Week photograph that hangs above. “We thought it looked really complementary and just wanted something playful down here because it is supposed to be a fun, not precious area,” Hana reasons. “We didn’t want to go with a white sofa.”

BEFORE: Before clearing the basement out, it felt quite cluttered.

The post How a Grungy San Francisco Basement Turned a Up to date English Cottage | Architectural Digest appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

After years of serving as a rental unit, the third level of a 1906 San Francisco town house was finally purchased by a couple who deeply appreciates its Victorian architecture. But before they could enjoy the bay windows, patinated hardwood floors, and ornate molding, they needed to peel back layers of haphazard updates. Interior designer Clara Jung stepped in to refresh the home, highlighting the original details while adding a cool-toned contemporary edge.

BEFORE: Original bay windows provide treetop views.

“The clients wanted to bring it back to life, but, obviously, overlay a modern take on it,” explains the Banner Day Interiors founder and principal. “We weren’t going to recreate historically accurate elements, like tiles and trim, but we wanted to pay homage and make sure that the new look integrated well with what was left of existing features.”

Clara also maintained the traditional layout of the long, narrow footprint. It’s separated into distinct rooms, aside from the blended kitchen-dining-living area. The previous owners had knocked down dividing walls to create an open-concept social hub, which Clara gladly embraced. “Honestly, there was no structural work done,” she reveals—but the transformation was still dramatic.

The post Shades of Blue and Inexperienced Rejuvenate This San Francisco Victorian Home | Architectural Digest appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The charming and modern-traditional aesthetic was informed by Jessica’s extensive collection of antique furniture and lighting. One of her prized possessions, a patinated metal and butcher block console, anchors the kitchenette as an island. It’s paired with Shaker-style cabinets, a marble farmhouse sink, and aged brass hardware, all by DeVol. “The quality is incredible, and they’ve always been an inspiration for me,” Hana says. “To be able to use them was really special. They have a very English feel.”

One half of the expansive L-shaped counter is made of chocolate-hued wood, and the other is composed of unsealed soapstone. The latter natural surface was chosen for its durability, as it extends through the bifold window to create an al fresco bar and therefore must withstand the notoriously foggy Bay Area weather. “Soapstone is a material that just can survive anything,” Hana says.

The adjacent living area is primed for parties with a comfortable Timothy Oulton sectional that’s big enough to seat a crowd. Its light blue linen upholstery intentionally enhances the Bess Friday Shanghai Fashion Week photograph that hangs above. “We thought it looked really complementary and just wanted something playful down here because it is supposed to be a fun, not precious area,” Hana reasons. “We didn’t want to go with a white sofa.”

BEFORE: Before clearing the basement out, it felt quite cluttered.

The post How a Grungy San Francisco Basement Grew to become a Modern English Cottage | Architectural Digest appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Clara also maintained the traditional layout of the long, narrow footprint. It’s separated into distinct rooms, aside from the blended kitchen-dining-living area. The previous owners had knocked down dividing walls to create an open-concept social hub, which Clara gladly embraced. “Honestly, there was no structural work done,” she reveals—but the transformation was still dramatic.

BEFORE: “It was clear that there wasn’t an eye towards design during the prior remodel of this home,” Clara admits. “It was more of a ‘get it done and rent it out’ philosophy.”

NACH: “On the left side of the kitchen is this custom artwork that they commissioned, which is so cute,” Clara says. “It’s by this well-known artist in San Francisco named Paul Madonna. He did a sketch of the front of their house.”

Christopher Stark

In the cookspace, Clara ripped out the chocolate-hued cabinets that reeked of the early aughts, replacing them with a mix of sleek white and rich walnut cupboards. She paired them with boldly veined marble countertops, bar stools for entertaining, and seafoam green pendants that match the adjacent plant room, where flora thrives in abundant natural light.

The post Shades of Blue and Inexperienced Rejuvenate This San Francisco Victorian Home | Architectural Digest appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.