Introduction

Having a fireplace or stove at home can be a wonderful addition, providing warmth, ambiance, and comfort during chilly days. However, with this privilege comes the responsibility of chimney maintenance. Regular chimney cleaning is essential to ensure the safety, efficiency, and longevity of the chimney system. entreprise ramonage 78

Understanding the Chimney System

Before delving into the importance of cleaning chimneys, it’s crucial to understand how the chimney system works. A chimney consists of several components, including the flue, chimney cap, damper, and chimney crown. It functions as a ventilation system, allowing the safe escape of combustion byproducts from the fireplace or stove to the outside.

Importance of Regular Chimney Cleaning

One of the primary reasons for regular chimney cleaning is reducing fire risks. Accumulated creosote, a flammable substance produced during the combustion process, can ignite and cause chimney fires. Additionally, a clogged chimney can lead to the buildup of carbon monoxide inside the home, posing serious health hazards.

Aside from safety concerns, regular cleaning also improves energy efficiency. A clean chimney allows for better airflow, enabling the fireplace or stove to burn fuel more effectively. Furthermore, proper maintenance can extend the lifespan of the chimney, saving homeowners from costly repairs or replacements.

Signs Your Chimney Needs Cleaning

Knowing when your chimney requires cleaning is crucial to prevent potential hazards. Signs of a dirty chimney include excessive smoke or soot during use, foul odors emanating from the fireplace, difficulty in starting a fire, malfunctioning chimney damper, and visible creosote buildup.

DIY Chimney Cleaning: Pros and Cons

Some homeowners opt for a do-it-yourself approach to chimney cleaning. While this can save money, it’s essential to understand the pros and cons. DIY chimney cleaning involves using specialized brushes and rods to remove creosote buildup manually. However, without proper knowledge and equipment, DIY cleaning can be hazardous and ineffective.

Hiring Professional Chimney Cleaning Services

For a safer and more thorough chimney cleaning, hiring a professional chimney sweep is recommended. Professional cleaners have the expertise, tools, and experience to handle the job effectively. When choosing a chimney sweep company, homeowners should consider reputation, certifications, and customer reviews.

The Dangers of Ignoring Chimney Cleaning

Neglecting chimney maintenance can lead to severe consequences. Creosote buildup can restrict airflow, leading to inefficient burning and increased creosote deposits. Blockages, such as bird nests or debris, can cause smoke backup, carbon monoxide poisoning, and chimney fires. Cracks and structural damage may compromise the chimney’s integrity, posing safety risks.

Different Methods of Chimney Cleaning

Chimney cleaning can be performed using various methods. Manual cleaning involves using brushes and rods to dislodge creosote. Chemical cleaning agents are sometimes used, although their environmental impact should be considered. Power sweeping and rotary cleaning are efficient methods used by professionals.

Tips for Maintaining a Clean Chimney

Aside from regular cleaning, homeowners can adopt practices to keep their chimneys cleaner for longer. Properly using the fireplace or stove, scheduling regular inspections, and keeping the area around the chimney clean are essential for chimney maintenance.

Chimney Cleaning Frequency for Different Fuels

The frequency of chimney cleaning depends on the type of fuel used. Wood-burning chimneys require more frequent cleaning due to the higher production of creosote. Gas-burning chimneys produce less creosote, but regular inspections are still necessary. Pellet-burning chimneys also have specific maintenance requirements.

Common Misconceptions About Chimney Cleaning

There are several misconceptions about chimney cleaning that can lead to dangerous practices. Some homeowners believe that a clean-looking chimney doesn’t require cleaning, attempt to clean chimneys with vacuum cleaners, or think that cleaning is only necessary for heavily used fireplaces.

Environmentally Friendly Chimney Cleaning Options

For those concerned about the environment, eco-friendly chimney cleaning options are available. Using environmentally friendly cleaning products and adopting sustainable practices during maintenance can reduce the impact on the ecosystem.

The Chimney Sweeping Industry and Its History

Chimney sweeping has a long history dating back centuries. The evolution of cleaning methods has improved the safety and efficiency of chimneys. Modern chimney sweeps face challenges related to modern technology and regulations.

Chimney Cleaning and Home Insurance

Homeowners’ insurance policies often require regular chimney maintenance. Failure to meet these requirements may affect insurance coverage in case of chimney-related incidents, such as fires or structural damage.

Conclusion

Regular chimney cleaning is not just a matter of aesthetics but a critical step in ensuring the safety, efficiency, and longevity of your chimney system. Whether you choose to hire a professional chimney sweep or opt for DIY cleaning, the essential point is not to neglect this crucial maintenance task.

By maintaining a clean and well-functioning chimney, you can enjoy the warmth and comfort of your fireplace or stove without compromising on safety. Remember, when it comes to chimney cleaning, prevention is always better than cure.

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“My family members in Gaza just relocated to a makeshift tent because their home in northern Gaza was reduced to rubble,” Zaynah Hindi, co-founder of Reem’s, a popular San Francisco restaurant, told the committee. “My co-founder has lost at least 40 members of her family in Gaza.”

At the nearly five-hour public hearing, community members and supervisors sparred over whether to add the language proposed by Dorsey, which would have also included identifying Hamas as a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.

“If we were to, in effect, reward terrorism by platforming grievances that underlie it, even if those grievances are just and right, we have to be explicit in our condemnation of acts of terror,” Dorsey said at the hearing. Omitting that language, he added, “would risk sending a dangerous and unthinkable message that terrorism works.”

Dorsey was supported by a handful of speakers, including some from local Jewish groups, who advocated for the failed amendment.

“I’m calling for some humility, to acknowledge that Hamas is a terrorist organization,” one San Francisco resident said during public comment.

The majority of speakers on Monday, however, supported the resolution without any amendment.

More than 60% of U.S. voters said they support a cease-fire in Gaza, according to recent polling by Data for Progress.

“I am the son of U.S concentration camp survivors. I’m here to add my voice to that of thousands who, for the last three months, have demonstrated to demand a halt to the genocide,” said San Francisco resident Don Misumi. “We cannot afford to stand by and allow this to happen. The call for a cease-fire is the absolute minimum we can do. It is our moral obligation.”

San Francisco’s push for a cease-fire resolution comes after the approval of similar resolutions in a small but growing number of U.S. cities, including Richmond and Oakland. The debate over the issue in both East Bay cities attracted national attention and accusations of antisemitism after some public speakers defended Hamas’ actions, and lawmakers ultimately rejected amendments condemning the group.

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FROM DREAM TO REALITY: An artist’s impression of the new Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco’s Sunset district

News
December 14, 2023
by Máirtín Ó Muilleoir

Plans for a state-of-the-art new home for the San Francisco Irish have moved a step closer with the decision of city leaders to back the ambitious new build plan.

This Saturday (December 16) city mayor London Breed will joins leaders of The United Irish Cultural Center for a signing ceremony signalling official support for the $74m flagship building.

On Tuesday (December 12), the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of the Project 2025 building plans for a complete redevelopment of the existing Irish Center on 45th Avenue in the city’s Sunset District.

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The ultra-modern new centre will match in architectural swagger and audacious scale the Irish Arts Center in New York.

Liam Reidy President of San Francisco United Irish Cultural Center addresses Big #IrishCampfire on $60m rebuild plan @IrishCenterSF @jimfrawleyNY @johnleemedia pic.twitter.com/YHG1jaazn9

— Irish Echo Newspaper (@IrishEcho) August 19, 2022

As the first Irish social center in the United States built entirely by volunteer labor and community contributions, the UICC has continued the work of its predecessors (such as the Knights of the Red Branch) in promoting and preserving Irish culture in the City by the Bay. Since the UICC opened its doors in the early 70s, it has been a welcoming space for Irish visitors and immigrants as well as community groups and a variety of organizations.

Celtic Women 2023

 “It has been nearly two years since we submitted our initial documents, and we are proud to announce that we are now on track to bring this dream to life with an actual building, not just a concept,” says Liam Reidy, UICC Board President and member of the Building Committee.

“Over the past year, we encountered several challenges, but thanks to the unwavering support of our community, we are moving forward and paving the way for construction.”

Six stories above ground with two subterranean levels for parking and an aquatics center, the reimagined Irish Center boasts a spacious lobby that welcomes visitors to experience a host of activities. The heartbeat of the Center will be its extensive library, museum, and digital gallery with educational resources, interactive exhibits, and scholarly research available to everyone. The Center will feature multi-use event space, pubs and fine food offerings, a gym, theater, and office and meeting spaces.

Dancers from 7 local Irish Dance Schools will be Rockin’ the Gates Saturday–check the schedule and see it all!

KIDS Under 18 are free.
TICKETS: https://t.co/g6MHsuZGw5 pic.twitter.com/eavZEGj68Y

— UICC San Francisco (@IrishCenterSF) August 23, 2023

“We want to exemplify the best of both the future and the past,” says Reidy, “sharing our history and traditions and continuing to build relationships with all of the cultures in San Francisco with whom the Irish have been partnering since the 1800s.”

The UICC team paid special tribute to Consul General of Ireland in the Golden Gate City Micheal Smith for championing the new build plan. 

The post Dream of San Francisco Irish heart rebirth strikes step nearer appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Addiction isolates. Recovery connects, and connecting spiritually is vital.

Once a person recovering from alcohol or other drug addiction has established the way of life suggested by the tenth step for maintaining the benefits of recovery (see A.A.’s Step 10: A Way of Life), there is still more progress possible. The 11th step offers advice from the earliest members of Alcoholics Anonymous on how they deepened sobriety by nurturing their spiritual lives.

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As with previous postings in this series on the 12 Steps, I need to stress that I am not speaking on behalf of A.A. There are many ways to understand the meaning and implications of each step[i]. What follows is only one perspective on step eleven filtered through my experience as an addiction psychiatrist. My goal is to offer thoughts on the psychological depth contained in A.A.’s 12-step approach to recovery from addiction (see A Meaningful Definition of Addiction Recovery).

Step 11 reads as follows:

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

People who have not seriously searched for personal meaning in the ten steps preceding step 11 may stumble over this direct appeal to spirituality, expressed as an increasingly conscious connection to God. But alcoholics/addicts who have achieved sobriety through practicing the 12 steps have already grappled with whatever childhood and family baggage may have clung to the word “God,” which they comfortably interpret according to their own individual understanding. For some, God is an ethereal deity, while for others, “He” is an inner wisdom, their conscience, the A.A. community, nature, or simply an undefined Higher Power that lies beyond the self.

The heart of step 11 lies in suggesting a practice of prayer and meditation as part of a sober life. Put simply, prayer is “talking to” or addressing one’s thoughts toward whatever form of higher power has somehow aided their recovery. Meditation, on the other hand, is listening to that higher power. Prayer is an act of humility—a recognition that you are not God and perpetually in need of help to remain sober. Prayer is important because once humility is lost, alcoholics/addicts are prone to revert to the same narcissistic assumption of omnipotence that formed the backbone of their efforts to control addictive disease without having to resort to abstinence.

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Meditation quiets the mind and pays active attention to whatever enters one’s consciousness. Many forms of meditation exist. Some focus attention on the breath, others on an object or sound. In either case, the editor in your mind is turned down, if not entirely off. There is an open space in your mind—a space that our monkey mind usually fills with random or obsessive thinking. This openness was first encountered in the sixth step to leave room for new behaviors to appear (see A.A.’s Steps 6 & 7: Making Room for Change, Then Inviting It). Meditation enhances this openness to allow whisperings from one’s conscience, wisdom from the unconscious, or communication from a higher power to seep into our awareness. Like stars in a darkened sky, subliminal thoughts, feelings, and understandings can be perceived more easily during meditation.

The primary goal of step 11 is to achieve a greater connection to your higher power by entering into a dialogue: talking and listening. Striving for a personal relationship with a God/higher power of your own understanding expands your sense of identification with mysteries at the core of all being. This expansion of your identity, in which your being is felt as a legitimate manifestation of the universe, is the essence of spiritual experience. Recovery contains many paradoxes, such as regaining control of one’s life by admitting powerlessness over alcohol and other drugs. The mystery at the core of our spiritual life is where such paradoxes are comfortably held.

The final portion of step 11 is critical. Prayer and meditation are not practiced to beseech God to satisfy our wishes. It is not akin to sitting on Santa’s knee with our Christmas list. Alcoholics/addicts are engaged in one paramount pursuit: freedom from chemical slavery. The goal of prayer and meditation is to gain knowledge of what is necessary to remain sober, with the assumption that sobriety and good health would be a caring God’s will for us. When working to learn God’s will for us and asking for “the power to carry that out,” you are no longer sitting in the director’s chair. Instead, you are willing to surrender to whatever realities are required of you to remain sober. Obedience to these realities is the only pathway to receive A.A.’s promise of a “happy, joyous, and free” life.

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The next posting in this series will explore how Step 12 calls on people in recovery to serve as a beacon to those who still suffer from addiction and to extend the principles of recovery throughout all aspects of their lives—a final push toward integrity and authenticity.

References

[i] Readers interested in a deeper dive into AA and the Twelve Steps can find it in AA’s How It Works and the more academic work by Ernest Kurtz, Not God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous, Hazelden, 1991.

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Salon by Malone 

Once she noted the carved-wood door and arched stained glass window, Malone Detro knew the house’s one-time walk-in closet and mailroom had great potential. So she rounded up her family of tradespeople to assist in executing an escape—“somewhere you could go during a busy dinner party to catch a private moment,” she says. Her brother-in-law, a general contractor, stained and finished the cabinetry; her brother, who runs Potaito Fine Furniture, designed and built the sycamore bar stools; and her soon-to-retire carpenter father built the undulating walnut shelves. The Patagonia granite bar “[acts] as the glue between old and new,” Detro says. “The shelves lay directly in front of that window, breathing new life into the space and creating a function for it that was not there before.”

Family room by DLC-ID

Photo: John Merkl

Family room by DLC-ID

Photo: John Merkl

Family room by DLC-ID

Transforming a large octagonal hallway into a multipurpose family room was certainly a challenge for DLC-ID, but owner and principal Jon de la Cruz maximized the shape by choosing “a calm, restrained color palette to further enhance the natural light and shadow,” he says. Pale, limewashed walls pull from the home’s neighboring terra-cotta roofs, while stone, gilded bronze, plush velvet, knotted wood, and lacquered parchment add rich layers. De la Cruz’s myriad custom furnishings mingle with a hand-knotted, Empire-style chandelier made in Mexico, Danish armchairs from the ’70s, and a Carrara marble dining table by Angelo Mangiarotti for Agapecasa.

Primary bedroom by Tineke Triggs

Photo: Christopher Stark

Closet by Tineke Triggs

Photo: Christopher Stark

Bathroom by Tineke Triggs

Photo: Christopher Stark

Primary bedroom, closet, and bathroom suite by Tineke Triggs

Spanning a bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom, the primary suite aims to “strike a harmonious balance between light and dark, demure and bold,” says Tineke Triggs. As an ode to the vitality of gemstones, the bedroom unites a custom upholstered Una Malan bed, MJ Atelier wallpaper, and Marzio Cecchi lounge chairs with custom Tracy Glover Studio sconces, a rug designed by Triggs, and a decorative ceiling mural by Caroline Lizarraga. A mix of custom Go Build Studio vanities, stone slabs from Da Vinci marble, and Triggs’ own tiles in the bathroom “serve as the sultry counterpart to the bedroom,” she adds.

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An 18th-century, Spanish-style abode—with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay—is home to the San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2023. The nearly 6,100-square-foot residence located at 625 El Camino Del Mar in the city’s posh Sea Cliff enclave is now open for tours (through May 29), with ticket sales once again supporting the San Francisco University High School Financial Aid Program.

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Built in 1927 by the notable bank architects Hyman and Appleton, the home teems with compelling spaces. In all, 22 design studios reimagined the home’s three floors. What’s trending among them? Rounded edges, sophisticated plasterwork, contemporary artworks, and rich, hand-painted details.

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“I love the relatability [the house] offers. It is not too big, yet [it] fits in everything a family would need,” says Jenny Bittner Borden, director of the showcase’s operations. And it’s just enough space for the region’s talents to explore what’s inspiring in this moment too. Below, step inside the San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2023, with 28 imaginative spaces that honor both the house’s Mediterranean architecture and arresting views of the San Francisco Bay.

Photo: Andrea Quagliata

The San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2023, with front garden by Martinelli Design

Front garden by Martinelli Design

Visitors are greeted by a Mediterranean meets Californian aesthetic in the front garden, where Russell Martinelli plays with scale by using raised, oversized metal planters to draw the eye upwards. Then the details sink in: the fountain, the Shou Sugi Ban bench, the Star Power cushion fabric from Perennials—all of which reinterpret the black dress and white pearls that Audrey Hepburn dons in *Breakfast at Tiffany’s—*and the grand, wide staircase. Martinelli refinished it in a “textured Spanish star-and-cross pattern and painted the brick a softer taupe in lieu of the original exposed concrete aggregate and red brick,” he says, “which complements the fresh white and charcoal exterior paint.”

Photo: Blake Marvin

Foyer by Geddes Ulinskas Architects

Foyer by Geddes Ulinskas Architects 

Rising from the foyer, over the winding concrete staircase and up to the atrium, is a tree that Geddes Ulinskas Architects built by hand alongside a half dozen craftspeople. “Each branch comprises eight sheets of medium-density fiberboard that were laminated, hand-bent together, fastened with epoxy and screws, sanded, finished, and hung. The lenses all had to be hand-templated and hand-cut to account for the imperfections of the human process,” says project designer Meredith Brown. Grounding the vestibule is a custom Stephen Antonson cocktail table and Natasha Baradaran poufs (both from De Sousa Hughes) atop a rug from The Rug Company.

Photography courtesy AubreyMaxwell

Antechamber by AubreyMaxwell

Photography courtesy AubreyMaxwell

Powder room by AubreyMaxwell

Powder room and Antechamber by AubreyMaxwell

Flanked by bronze Portal sconces by Konekt, the “giant carved wood mirror frame produced by Casey Johnson Studio is a mighty presence in the room,” says AubreyMaxwell cofounder Robbie McMillan. “It has a great connection to the misty landscape mural on the surrounding walls [courtesy of Phillip Jeffries] and brings the earthy quality of oiled oak into play. We used a bronze-colored mirror here in an organic shape that might be seen as a cave opening or a secret passage into a massive tree trunk.” Starring Explosion Blue quartzite that nods to the Pacific Ocean, the powder room is entirely “cloaked in soft green limewash that shimmers in the light and mimics the idea of mossy walls,” adds AubreyMaxwell cofounder Marcus Keller.

Photo: Mario Serafin Photography

Study by Coy & Company

Study by Coy & Company

In traditional 18th- and 19th-century morning rooms, “the day’s first rays of light would fill the space, and the lady of the residence would prepare for her day,” says Geoffrey Coy, CEO and principal of Coy & Company. That uplifting, productive vibe comes easily in this modern-day study thanks to an alcove wrapped in Kelly Wearstler’s Mineral wallpaper, a Donghia-upholstered swivel chair, and a large work by Brooklyn artist Marc Lambrechts. The highlight, according to Coy? “Our custom oscillating ceiling detail inspired by millwork of the 1800s.”

Photography courtesy Kimberly Denman Inc.

Living room by Kimberly Denman Inc.

Living room by Kimberly Denman Inc. 

For the living room, Kimberly Denman Rebuffel sought to create a chic European-style ambiance, one reminiscent of Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan. “This room is filled with pieces and furniture that are designed and produced with such skill and artistry,” says the designer. A Maya Romanoff wallpaper brings visual depth to the space, while other standouts include a McEwen Lighting Studio chandelier, Denman’s own limited cast-bronze Cerus armchair and Urn lamps, and a slew of contemporary artworks that “lead to continuous discovery for the inhabitants,” says studio partner Laurent Rebuffel.

Photography courtesy Chroma

Dining room by Chroma

Dining room by Chroma

The moody, artwork-filled Apollonia dining room takes its cues from surrealism, specifically Salvador Dalí’s 1934 painting Enigmatic Elements in a Landscape. That theme paves the way for such treasures as an expansive mural by Rafael Arana. The interior also features a custom tonal rug by Mark Nelson Designs, geometric patterned window coverings fabricated by Magnolia Lane, Edward Wormley dining chairs, and a lacquered table made with furniture designer Julian Giuntoli characterized by an eglomise inset.

Photo: Bess Friday

Kitchen by Lauren Berry Interior Design

Photo: Bess Friday

Kitchen by Lauren Berry Interior Design

Kitchen by Lauren Berry Interior Design 

Functional but elegant, the gourmet kitchen brings together natural materials such as rift white oak and honed Calacatta marble with Holly Hunt fabrics and local artwork. With the notion of mise en place top of mind, designer Lauren Berry prioritized organization in the space. Consider the sliding marble panels behind the range (which open to built-in shelving) or the tall black metal and glass-lit display cabinet. “I avoided the predictable island pendants, which can be obtrusive, and instead created a raised tray ceiling with cove lighting above the generous 10-foot-high ceiling,” she says, noting how it provides a “monolithic and uninterrupted focal point from dining and breakfast rooms.”

Photo: John Merkl

Sunroom by Dina Bandman Interiors

Sunroom by Dina Bandman Interiors

Dina Bandman designed this airy, sage-toned offshoot of the kitchen with convivial Mahjong games and decadent afternoon tea spreads in mind. Charles Leonard’s hand-painted geometric flooring and deGournay’s floral wallpaper set an elegant tone that is buoyed by furnishings from Hewn. The white plaster palm Paul Ferrante chandelier, the wire-brushed oak Marcali table, and the Marcali chairs upholstered in Holland & Sherry soft wool sateen are all tied together with Madina Aryeh’s custom window coverings. 

Photo: Lauren Edith Andersen of Sen Creative Co.

Salon by Malone

Salon by Malone 

Once she noted the carved-wood door and arched stained glass window, Malone Detro knew the house’s one-time walk-in closet and mailroom had great potential. So she rounded up her family of tradespeople to assist in executing an escape—“somewhere you could go during a busy dinner party to catch a private moment,” she says. Her brother-in-law, a general contractor, stained and finished the cabinetry; her brother, who runs Potaito Fine Furniture, designed and built the sycamore bar stools; and her soon-to-retire carpenter father built the undulating walnut shelves. The Patagonia granite bar “[acts] as the glue between old and new,” Detro says. “The shelves lay directly in front of that window, breathing new life into the space and creating a function for it that was not there before.”

Photo: John Merkl

Family room by DLC-ID

Photo: John Merkl

Family room by DLC-ID

Family room by DLC-ID

Transforming a large octagonal hallway into a multipurpose family room was certainly a challenge for DLC-ID, but owner and principal Jon de la Cruz maximized the shape by choosing “a calm, restrained color palette to further enhance the natural light and shadow,” he says. Pale, limewashed walls pull from the home’s neighboring terra-cotta roofs, while stone, gilded bronze, plush velvet, knotted wood, and lacquered parchment add rich layers. De la Cruz’s myriad custom furnishings mingle with a hand-knotted, Empire-style chandelier made in Mexico, Danish armchairs from the ’70s, and a Carrara marble dining table by Angelo Mangiarotti for Agapecasa.

Photo: Christopher Stark

Primary bedroom by Tineke Triggs

Photo: Christopher Stark

Closet by Tineke Triggs

Photo: Christopher Stark

Bathroom by Tineke Triggs

Primary bedroom, closet, and bathroom suite by Tineke Triggs

Spanning a bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom, the primary suite aims to “strike a harmonious balance between light and dark, demure and bold,” says Tineke Triggs. As an ode to the vitality of gemstones, the bedroom unites a custom upholstered Una Malan bed, MJ Atelier wallpaper, and Marzio Cecchi lounge chairs with custom Tracy Glover Studio sconces, a rug designed by Triggs, and a decorative ceiling mural by Caroline Lizarraga. A mix of custom Go Build Studio vanities, stone slabs from Da Vinci marble, and Triggs’ own tiles in the bathroom “serve as the sultry counterpart to the bedroom,” she adds.

Photo: David Livingston

Guest bedroom by Miyuki Yamaguchi Design Studio

Guest bedroom by Miyuki Yamaguchi Design Studio 

The moment Miyuki Yamaguchi laid eyes on deGournay’s Wisteria wallpaper, it brought back memories of young adulthood, when she would chat with her next-door neighbor, the lauded linguist professor Murray Barnson Emeneau, about the wisteria that bloomed every spring. Building upon the elegance of that nostalgic wall covering, Yamaguchi’s guest bedroom incorporates a silk bed canopy and organza sheer curtain, John Dickinson’s African table from Sutherland Furniture, and a trifecta of pieces from Ironies, including the Prise table lamp. Its classic urn form makes “a statement in a modern way with a unique ‘worn’ marble texture,” says Yamaguchi. 

Photo: Mario Serafin

Bedroom by EJ Interior Design

Photo: Mario Serafin

Bathroom by EJ Interior Design

Photo: Mario Serafin

Closet by EJ Interior Design

Kids’ bedroom and bathroom suite by EJ Interior Design

Shapes and colors collide in this cheerful children’s bedroom featuring a custom bed informed by the 1980s’ Memphis movement. A Moustache desk chair and made-in-Oaxaca rug developed with Casa Muñiz Design further enliven the room. “Pierre Frey’s Arty pattern adds painterly strokes to the ceiling and window surfaces, creating a playful contrast to the rigid geometry of the bed,” says firm founder Eugenia Jesberg. The bathroom is just as bright with its papaya-hued wainscoting and confetti-like mosaic tile in various jewel tones from New Ravenna. “This random pattern reiterates our goal to foster positive feelings,” says design director Emma Jesberg.

Photo: Bess Friday

Bedroom by Chantal Lamberto

Photo: Bess Friday

Bathroom by Chantal Lamberto

Bedroom and bathroom suite by Chantal Lamberto

A longtime fan of the butterfly-emblazoned Queen’s Flight wallpaper by Peg Norriss for Schumacher, Chantal Lamberto made the sand-hued version the starting point of her whimsical children’s bedroom. The space also features a refinished antique dresser, Hans Wegner Wishbone chair, and Annie Selke woven jute area rug. As a restrained juxtaposition, the bathroom’s hand-painted Porter Teleo wallpaper is paired with black-and-white striped stone wainscoting, and “the flooring is a prismatic black-and-white stone mosaic that adds a hint of whimsy,” Lamberto says. 

Photo: Serena Morelli

Bedroom by Marsh & Clark Design

Photo: Serena Morelli

Bathroom by Marsh & Clark Design

Guest bedroom and bathroom suite by Marsh & Clark Design

To conjure a blissful state of relaxation in the bedroom, Marsh & Clark Design melded a floral installation with antiques and “a softly sloped headboard that curves around the bed and side table. It’s an asymmetric hug that envelops you in all senses,” says owner and principal designer Stephanie Fillbrandt. “The walls harken a feeling of gentle movement and the lighting [lofts above] in bird form.” It’s just as soothing in the bathroom with its Articolo pendant, micro-glass tile flooring, and textured plaster walls. 

Photo: Christopher Stark

Media room and wine cellar by Noz Design

Photo: Christopher Stark

Wet bar by Noz Design

Media room and wine cellar by Noz Design 

“I wanted to create a dreamy space that transported you out of a four-wall room and into a celestial experience while also designing a cozy space that you’d want to relax in,” says Noz Nazawa of her media room. Murals painted by decorative artist Caroline Lizarraga weave in gold constellations, ceiling fixtures resemble the Big Dipper, and a custom Marcali sofa (available at Hewn) recalls the Lobster Nebula, particularly since it’s placed on a black rug in the shape of the Scorpius constellation. With translucent racks backdropped by Lizarraga’s cobalt blue Venetian plaster walls, the wine cellar is just as trippy. 

Photo: Paul Dyer

Playroom by Shelley & Company Interior Design

Playroom by Shelley & Company Interior Design 

An acrylic swing set, petal-shaped wooden stools, and 3D sculptural trees turn this indoor playroom into a wonderland for children of all ages. Making the biggest splash is the full-scale mural of Christian Lacroix’s It’s Paradise wall covering. “We were sure to honor his whimsical theme throughout the room with the help of our custom and hand-sewn patterned kites from Tulu Textiles adorned with delicate fringes, beading, and intricate embroidery,” says principal designer Shelley Cahan. “Like Christian, I have always found myself drawn to deep saturation of color, pattern, and the unexpected.”

Photography courtesy Lizette Marie Interior Design

Office by Lizette Marie Interior Design

Office by Lizette Marie Interior Design

Acknowledging that the role of the home office is ever changing, designer Lizette Marie Bruckstein wanted this den to feel “as equally suited to Zoom calls with titans of industry as it is for evening cocktails or family game nights on the floor,” she says. Espresso-hued paneling, a matte black ceiling, and Dedar-upholstered vintage armchairs lend a glamorous sheen to the space, but it’s the custom Breccia Capraia marble–and–oak desk that truly shines. “The feat of creating a round base from a flat slab, infusing that base with strength and balance and then seamlessly attaching the solid oak top such that it could function structurally required quite a bit of engineering,” says the designer.  

Photo: Serena Morelli

Laundry room by MGG Designs

Laundry room by MGG Designs

It’s a dog’s world—at least in designer Mini Gangwal’s laundry room. The Doggone Good wallpaper by Bridgett Stahlman for Spoonflower and bone-adorned wall rack play into the theme. A 2Modern stool, Crossville floor tiles, and LG washer and dryer outfit the rest of the hard-working space. 

Photography courtesy Ruben Marquez Interior Design

Bathroom by Ruben Marquez Interior Design

Photography courtesy Kyle Hill Design

Gym by Kyle Hill Design

Bathroom by Ruben Marquez Interior Design

Tucked into the lower level, “we wanted to set this diminutive bathroom apart from the rest of the house,” says Ruben Marquez, who embraced a floating Kohler vanity and textured Arizona Tile on the walls to elicit a private members’ club atmosphere. “Instead of using tiles or a mosaic sheet, I customized the floor [using] quartz slabs, and created a rectilinear pattern that creates visual and architectural interest.” Another perk? Heated cables underfoot.

Gym by Kyle Hill Design

Mind, body, and spirit all get nurtured in Kyle Hill Design’s fitness room. Drawing from wellness centers around the world, it combines a Lululemon Studio mirror and custom Pilates reformer with bespoke furniture like a CB2 meditation chair and EQ3 workout table. But chestnut wood paneling and Kelly Wearstler lighting instill the high-tech space with a tranquil, balancing aura too. 

Photo: Serena Morelli

Elevator by Elan Evans Decorative Finishes

Elevator by Elan Evans Decorative Finishes

One evening, Elan Evans drove up to her garden at “that moment just before the sunlight goes entirely and everything seems to be touched with little glints of gold,” she recalls. “It filled me with a sense of peace and renewal.” That serenity is what she wanted the elevator to convey, and she achieved it through colors like Benjamin Moore’s Amorous, a dusty purple, and a range of metallic paints from Modern Masters that she applied with a check roller. “I love how the Arteriors Izzy fixture stands in for the rising moon—and the seeded glass has a similar texture to the paint finishes.”

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Step 3: The economy… but that step hasn’t happened yet.

By Wolf Richter for WOLF STREET.

San Francisco was the hottest office market in the US in 2019, when the office vacancy rate was just 7.1%, as tech and social media companies and all kinds of startups piled on top of each other, renting office space they didn’t need and couldn’t use , to prepare for a future that would not come.

Now, Q1, 2023: The vacancy rate is 32.7%. According to Savills, almost a third of San Francisco’s office space was for rent, an all-time high. And all trends are going in the wrong direction. In the worst year of the dot-com bust, 2003, the vacancy rate reached 18%.

First quarter vacancy rates ranged from 28% in the South of Market Area (SOMA) to 55.4% in the Yerba Buena area.

Of the 86.6 million square feet (msf) of total office space, over 28 msf is vacant and on the market. This includes a record leasable area of ​​8.9 msf, up from 7.7 msf a year ago.

This type of aggregation of sublet space is gross. At that moment, companies like Meta realize they’ll never move into the spaces they rented years ago for a future that didn’t come, and then try to find a tenant for the remaining years of the lease to help out you bear the transport costs. They tend to undercut landlords who try to rent their own vacant space directly, as the goal of subletting is not profit but lowering operating costs.

Meta said in January that it plans to list its 435,000 sf office at 181 Fremont Street for subleases.

Salesforce, the city’s largest tech employer, put another 125,000 sf on the sublease market in March, this time in the Salesforce Tower, owned by Boston Properties. This brings Salesforce’s total sublease space to over 1 million sf.

I mean what were these people thinking when they rented this space? These big tech companies that think they’re going to grow forever have big real estate divisions run by highly paid executives with titles like VP of Global Real Estate whose job is building campuses and leasing offices, and they’ve done that, and that is what they end up with.

The first major defaults – because of the interest. PIMCO’s Columbia Property Trust defaulted on two downtown office towers: 201 California Street and 650 California Street. In the latter, Twitter rented the 30th floor and simply stopped paying rent after Musk acquired it, according to a lawsuit filed by Columbia in December. In theory, Twitter is on the hook for the lease until January 31, 2025.

One problem behind the default is the adjustable rate mortgage bond. Columbia completed the adjustable rate mortgage in December 2021. I mean, what were these people thinking? That was the time when inflation was spiking and the Fed was choking on QE and warning of rate hikes and these idiots who might have been holed up in the pivot trader camp threw out the Fed and got a 3% floating rate note and up By early 2023, it had doubled to 6%. OK, game over – this is where the talks begin.

The company said it was in talks with the lenders to restructure the mortgage. Lenders definitely don’t want the towers. Defaulting on the mortgage of office towers in this market is like putting a gun to your head. And they will talk.

But this time it’s not the economy yet, this shoe has yet to fall. This time the main drivers are two factors:

1. Confiscation of office space in the years leading up to 2019 to prepare for a future that would not come. As everyone ate up office space they didn’t need, an office shortage ensued, fueling the office shortage even further. Human brains are funny when it comes to hogging, as we learned during Spring 2020’s Empty Shelves episode.

2. Home office since the pandemic. Many San Francisco employers have embraced it fully, while others are desperate to hybridize some workers back into the office for a few days a week. But they realize they don’t need all the space they’ve hogged over the last few years.

Leasing activity fizzled out in the first quarter. Only 900,000 sf was leased compared to 1.5 msf in Q1 2022 and 2.5 msf in Q1 2019.

The largest transaction was Gap’s sale-leaseback of its Athletica headquarters. It sold the 162,000 sf building at 1 Harrison Street to Sobrato Organization for $80 million and leased it back for a year. So that didn’t take any office space off the market.

The third largest transaction was an extension by Bank of the West. This has not taken any office space off the market either.

The fourth-biggest deal was Reddit’s downscaling move: It’s moving out of its 78,000-square-foot Market St. office it subleased from Block and moving into a 47,000-square-foot space at 303 Second St. This move will create even more vacancy space on the market.

Average asking rents continued to fall. For Class A space, they dropped to $74.59 per square foot per year. This is about 16% down from the peak in 2019.

Price would normally solve demand problems by causing prices to fall until demand occurs. But with heavily leveraged commercial properties, landlords aren’t able to lower rents past a certain point because even if they could fill the building, landlords couldn’t pay the mortgage with lowered rents, and contract language could put them in default. And so they fall behind.

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The post San Francisco Workplace Market Turns into Nightmare, in Two Straightforward Steps. Step 1: Hogging Workplace House; Step 2: Working from Dwelling appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

CHICAGO — The Bears have finalized their deal to purchase land in Arlington Heights, taking a big step forward to potentially moving the team to the suburbs.

The team announced in a Wednesday tweet that officials were shut down at the suburban property last week. However, the purchase does not guarantee that the team will leave. City officials have negotiated with team leaders to keep the bears in Chicago, and the bears still need support from suburban leaders and potential neighbors.

“Completing the purchase does not guarantee the land will be developed, but it is an important next step in our ongoing evaluation of the property,” team officials tweeted.

“There is still a tremendous amount of due diligence work to be done to determine if building a gated, state-of-the-art stadium and multi-purpose entertainment district is feasible.”

The deal is a “big development” of the potential move, but “there has been no decision” on whether the Bears will make the proposed Arlington Heights venue, according to a letter from the team.

But if the team goes ahead with their idea for the suburban campus, it would be “one of the largest megaprojects in Midwestern history,” according to the letter.

Our Arlington Park Property Closure Open Letter:

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 15, 2023

The Arlington Park campus would be built on 326 acres on the site of the former Churchill Downs racecourse, which closed for racing late last season.

It would be “much more than a stadium project,” the team wrote in September as they unveiled possible plans for the development.

RELATED: Bears reveal what Arlington Heights Stadium campus could look like

The campus would include a “multipurpose entertainment, commercial/retail and residential district,” according to the Bears website. It could include restaurants, office space, a hotel, fitness center, parks and open spaces.

However, the site has repeatedly pointed out that campus will only become a reality when certain things happen: when the team closes the property and when the team decides to develop it.

Now the team has completed this first step.

The Bears have said the development could create more than 48,000 jobs and generate $9.4 billion for the Chicago-area economy. But company officials have said they would want public funding for the project.

“The overarching plan will only work if the village of Arlington Heights, surrounding communities, Cook County, the greater Chicagoland area and the state of Illinois all receive significant economic benefits, and we are confident that a mega-project like this can deliver results,” he said the team’s letter.

The team held meetings with Arlington Heights residents to gather their feedback. A September gathering drew more than 100 neighbors who applauded when the Bears said their Arlington Heights stadium would have a roof — only for the crowd to groan when the team said the roof would not be retractable.

Chicago officials have hoped to keep the team during months of negotiations at Soldier Field.

The announcement is the latest twist in the stadium drama between the Bears and the city of Chicago – a saga that stretches back to the ’70s when the team first threatened to leave Soldier Field for Arlington Heights.

The City and Bears rebuilt Soldier Field in 2002, but it remains the smallest-capacity stadium in the NFL. And the bears are Park District tenants, which means they pay rent and share many of the revenue streams.

Lightfoot has tried to persuade the team to stay by offering to build a dome over the stadium, but many saw this as a Hail Mary with little chance of keeping the team within city limits.

Separately, Landmark Development has also proposed a glamorous overhaul of Soldier Field, releasing a nearly six-minute video in January showing designs to address many of the Bears’ complaints about the stadium.

Lightfoot’s office said at the time the mayor supported the developer’s efforts.

But the mayor has also tried to play tough at times, poking fun at the team’s struggles on the field and suggesting how Soldier Field could be rehabilitated without the bears. She has also hinted that if the Bears left, Chicago would attract another football team to the city.

The Bears moved to Park District’s Soldier Field in 1971, but several years later threatened to move to Arlington Heights. Then-Mayor Richard J. Daley threatened a lawsuit to prevent them from calling themselves Chicago Bears if they relocated. His son, Mayor Richard M. Daley, also engaged in years of tense negotiations with the team, which threatened to relocate to Gary, Indiana in 1995.

The Bears could terminate the Soldier Field lease as early as 2026 by paying the city an $84 million penalty, the Tribune reported. This price will decrease in the coming years.

Big city teams opting for more space in the suburbs are not unprecedented. The New York Giants and New York Jets relocated to New Jersey from the city decades ago. The San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders also play outside of the cities they are named after.

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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.

GREENVILLE, SC — Tom Izzo straightened out his quarter-zip, folded his arms, stared into the crowd and exhaled. It was right before tipoff, a few minutes past 5:15 pm For the next 40 minutes, he would find himself deadlocked in a high-stakes, narrative-filled coaching battle, against a team more talented than his, with a chance to play spoiler. The sweet spot.

These opportunities, on a stage like this, are the ones Izzo lives for. This was the type of matchup basketball fans and sports fans at-large tune in to watch unfold, largely because of the two faces of these programs. Duke versus Michigan State. Izzo versus Mike Krzyzewski, one final time. A storyline only topped by the game that transpired.

It just wasn’t the result Izzo or his Michigan State team were looking for.

“He’s got another game to play, and I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do,” Izzo said of Krzyzewski. “(I’ll) probably be beating myself up for a week because not many times do you get an opportunity to be right there in the threshold of something special, and it slipped away.”

That’s how Izzo will remember this one — Michigan State’s 85-76 loss to Duke and Coach K in the second round. As he answered questions in his postgame news conference, Izzo said his team didn’t do what it needed to in order to pull out a win like this. When he says that, he’s speaking from experience. There’s a good chance he’ll look back at this, perhaps on the flight home, and think about what went wrong. Because for all its wars, this team was right there.

If he were to win this game, with this team, against that coach … well, you can only imagine how satisfying that would’ve been for Izzo. Maybe that’s why he won’t soon forget this one. Because there was a point where it looked like it was meant to be.

The post With Mike Krzyzewski and Duke transferring on, Tom Izzo’s Michigan State program seems to be to ‘take one other step’ – The Athletic appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.