A hilltop renovation with stunning views
A grand 1920’s Beaux-Arts tower on a hilltop in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood is the setting for this 5,400 SF full-floor residential renovation. Called “San Francisco’s Best Building”, this 11-unit cooperative offers world-class views of the Bay, Alcatraz Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Its lush adjacent garden features a brick-paved motor court and entry porte-cochere, each reinforcing one’s sense of having slipped into a lifestyle well-suited to an urban Gatsby.
Classical and elegant updates
Work here started with the removal of all components of an undistinguished 1970’s interior. Exterior building walls, load-bearing masonry partitions, and the elevator/stair core were all that remained. Charged with creating a elegant interior in the style of a Parisian townhouse, PDA crafted a new 2-bedroom floor plan, and continued ahead to design and specify all architectural elements of the interior: new partitions with custom classical paneling and mouldings throughout, three richly detailed baths, a wine room, parquet finish floors, casework, doors, windows, lighting, and other fixtures and finishes. A modern kitchen featuring custom cabinets by Italian fabricator Arclinea was the single contemporary element, in keeping with the tradition of kitchens as more functional “service” spaces.
Authentic luxury
Homes of this type may risk being overstated – even gauche – in their pursuit of period splendor. In contrast, this project has a quality of reserve and authenticity. It is a deeply serene “palace in the sky”, where the owners can enjoy art, friends, and striking views in an atmosphere of luxurious restraint.
