This penthouse occupies the two upper floors of a converted manufacturing building in San Francisco. The space was already imbued with three existing, classic arched windows, and a narrow roof-top terrace. The remainder of the interior was a blank canvas consisting of bare concrete. Our goal for this home was to create a space that had the feel of an early 20th Century penthouse. The space is intended for use as a part time residence and place for entertaining guests.

Our fist intervention was to remove a large portion of the upper floor of this two-story space, creating a grand, double-height great room which takes full advantage of the arched windows to create a light and view filled space of monumental size. This change reduced the usable floor space but added value by significantly improving the experience of the remaining 2,400 square feet. One end of the great room is paneled in antique mirror panels, creating the illusion of a palatially sized room.

An elegant new stair, clad in white marble and venetian plaster, with a bronze and brass balustrade, artfully connects both floors. The main entrance is on the upper level. Since the space is intended for entertaining, this arrangement allows for truly dramatic entrances.

Each floor contains a full bedroom suite, suitable for full-time residents, but intended for part-time stays by either the owners or their guests. The bedrooms include dressing areas with generous storage and bathrooms with luxurious appointments.

The kitchen includes ample space for several people to work and allows for convenient storage of kitchen tools to keep the room appearing tidy. A large banquette anchors one end of the kitchen; it’s a cozy space for intimate gathering.

This project is in schematic design. The photorealistic images of rooms were created to assist the owners with visualization of their own ideas and to understand our design proposals with clarity.

We are helping a soon-to-be retired couple plan their new, rural Napa County home. The new house will be perched high atop a hill with beautiful views in all directions. The simple, modernist inspired home is designed of post and beam construction, with elegant shed roofs angled to the spectacular northern views of Lake Berryessa. This project has completed its initial design phase and will be refined in the coming months.