San Francisco Retreat
A penthouse pied–à–terre becomes a showcase for antiques.
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Sharephotos by: Fred Lyon
August 1, 2008
For the Silicon Valley venture capitalist who owns this five-bedroom San Francisco home, the ability to act fast on an investment deal is second nature. But when the 5,000-square-foot apartment in the sky came on the market, the decision to buy hardly required a detailed business analysis. "The apartment was a no-brainer—the address, the proximity to downtown, the ‘wow’ factor of the views, and the original Beaux Arts framework were too good to pass up," says local architect Benjamin Farrell of Walker & Moody Architects. "From day one, the client had that ‘whatever it takes’ kind of attitude, and he never pulled back. That’s a rarity."When the design team—Farrell, firm owner Sandy Walker, and interior designer David Kensington of Kensington & Associates—put pencil to paper, they knew the apartment would become much more than a weekend getaway. The homeowner, whose primary residence is in Atherton, about 30 miles southeast of the city, wanted a pied-à-terre that would provide a breathtaking venue for entertaining, as well as a showcase for a growing collection of art and antiques.
Knowing about his client’s well-traveled childhood and desire to collect museum-quality antiques, Kensington looked to Europe’s grand homes for inspiration. As a result, the interior design is a careful infusion of French and Italian antiques along with new, custom-designed pieces. "We reinterpreted Louis XVI style and blended periods and cultures," says Kensington.
The 12-story building has been home to some of the city’s finest residences since the 1920s, and this 11th-floor apartment maintains the original 12-foot-tall ceilings and elaborate crown moldings and ceiling ornamentation. "It was clear from the beginning that we would work within the existing language of each room," says Farrell, adding that both the living and dining room layouts remained untouched. "The ornate plasterwork served as the genesis for a lot of details in the apartment. And it happened that the proportions and the rhythm of the spaces worked. We utilized the geometry we had." At 700 and 370 square feet, respectively, the living and dining rooms epitomized the scale of entertaining the homeowner had in mind. "He can go to events downtown and then invite everyone back for drinks," Farrell says.
The team reworked the kitchen and bedroom wing to accommodate modern appliances and conveniences, while the solarium was converted into a richly paneled library wrapped in bookmatched mahogany veneers. The room’s French doors are topped with lunette transoms—an architectural thread that is woven throughout the home. "This is the owner’s favorite room," says Kensington. "When just a few guests come over for cocktails, they often go to the library because it’s more intimate."
But when cocktail hour exceeds a few close friends, the party moves into the living and dining rooms. Kensington says his client, who recently provided use of his home for a ballet fund-raiser, envisioned the apartment as a place where he could entertain the leaders of the art, business, and political worlds. "But he also wanted the space to be comfortable when it’s just him and his wife," he says.
To that end, Kensington broke up the living room into
conversation areas to make the space comfortable for large or small groups. An
18th-century Swedish neoclassical settee, which fronts a sofa in apricot-colored
silk velvet, anchors one sitting area, while an 18th-century French settee
reupholstered in seafoam-colored silk and paired with an amethyst quartz table
comprises another. From the same era, an ebonized bureau with an inlaid leather
top was added so the homeowner could enjoy the views of the Golden Gate Bridge
and the San Francisco Bay while reading or working. "The idea was for him to be
surrounded by all the things he loves," says Kensington.
