EMBARCADERO RESIDENCE

 

Proof that the adage “the best perfumes come in small bottles…” is true is this two-bedroom apartment in downtown San Francisco. We collaborated with the owner, a retired designer recently settled in San Francisco, to transform this non-descript modern space in a high rise building into a setting of panache and style.

The living room was transformed into a “salon” where linen banquettes face a wall of portraits purchased over the years. Above the banquettes, current artwork by the owner is framed in various frame styles. In the center of the room, a round table draped with a toile de jouy and a linen cloth hosts a collection of vases and artifacts from his travels. A collection of chairs completes the room, including a stone garden seat, a French bergère, and a primitive African chair.

One of the bedrooms is now an elegant dining room with a round table surrounded by archaic Chinese pottery and metal ware. A large Flemish tapestry creates a counterpoint to the Chinese objects. On opposite corners of the room, cozy reading seating areas were created to add to the versatility of the space.

In the master bedroom, pillows made from antique Flemish tapestry enliven a linen bedspread. A large early 20th century portrait by John de Costa creates a link to the portraits in the living room.