NOB HILL PENTHOUSE

Our client, a C-level tech executive, reached out to us to help with her penthouse in Nob Hill with stunning panoramic views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin, Berkeley, Oakland and the Bay. We wanted to translate this view into a relaxed atmosphere that stayed true to the rhythms and topography of the city.

The building itself is an art deco masterpiece built in 1927. We went for a design sensitive to this architectural history while remaining forward-thinking. The living and dining rooms are cast in the blues, blacks and silvers of the era, but set off by bright and unusual yellows. Highly graphic primary colors infuse the space with a vivacious and contemporary feel. Our mix of old and new is exemplified in the living room’s centerpiece: a vintage, art deco mirrored console that we paired with a custom bar mirror made by Paige Glass Company, based locally. Our client loves to socialize, so we designed a sofa that allows guests to look at each other without blocking the views from the fifteenth floor. The shape of the area rug, in black with light trim, is a nod to the chevrons on the Chrysler Building.

In the dining room, inspiration is taken from architecture closer to home. The pyramidal base of the dinner table is patterned on the Transamerica Building just outside the window. A Ted McCann painting, inspired by JB Blunk’s home in Inverness, looks like a city grid or a skyscraper lit up at night; while Sarah Thibault’s flower painting, from Pt. 2 Gallery in Oakland, takes cues from a psilocybin trip. A bit more grounded is the living room’s daybed designed by Anne-Mette Jensen and Morten Ernst for Erik Jorgensen. Looking like a wave on the bay, it is as much a conversation starter as the view of the city outside, which it resembles topographically. The Gae Aulenti coffee table is both sleek and fun.In stark contrast to the social areas, the bedroom is done in whites, silvers and pearl; and we reversed the rug colors to a light base with dark trim. Billowy curtains, a whimsical but sensual art piece by Jeff Cheung and an oneiric mirror feel dreamlike and reposed. For a bit of visual tension, we added a metal lamp and a metal chaise by Paul Mathieu.

The client needed a space to unwind for movie nights with her son, so we designed the media room in heavy black drapery to keep out the light. But we kept a light touch with a surprise peek-a-boo moment when the drapes are pulled back to reveal art from local galleries. A Ted McCann coffee table connects this room with other McCann pieces in other rooms. We matched the penthouse’s all-encompassing views of the Bay by selecting artworks and furnishings from artists all around the Bay Area: Bruce Mitchell, NJ Roseti, Tina Frey and Nick Makanna.

Y E A R : 2023

L O C A T I O N : Nob Hill

P U B L I C A T I O N : Architectural Digest