REVIVAL INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO

This home is located in the neighborhood of Bernal Heights in San Francisco - I love that this neighborhood is so walkable with many small cafes and restaurants. The steep, winding streets are really charming with incredible hill-top views.

The home is a "forever home" for a mother, her two teenagers and their dog. The client has an amazing eye for design and a deep appreciation for architecture and quality materials. The client had just bought an Edwardian home in this neighborhood, but unfortunately it was a victim of the minimalist trend that prioritizes resale over historical integrity—the original moldings were all gone and the character had been bleached out. One of the main goals for this renovation was to give this home back some character and history. Her top request was to move away from the generic white kitchen and restore the lost character in the home.

The Entry

The entry used to have a small builder-grade closet that just didn't feel usable or particularly inviting as it was the first thing you saw when you stepped inside the home. We decided to rip it out and replace it with a custom arched niche, which immediately feels more architectural. We added built-in drawers to keep everyday essentials organized. To make the transition into the living room feel seamless, we painted the niche and the woodwork the same color as the living room.

The Kitchen

One of the early decisions we made was to move away from the "generic white kitchen" of the previous remodel. “One look at the client’s Pinterest board and I knew exactly the look she wanted for her Kitchen” - Her board was full of inspiration images from deVOL kitchens, featuring their signature painted cupboards, shaker cabinetry and natural materials like stone worktops and unlacquered brass hardware.
The charming English Kitchen details: The client loved the classic deep green of deVOL kitchens. So we tore down the "builder-white" cabinets and replaced them with custom inset cabinetry painted in Farrow & Ball Duck Green. Green almost acts as a neutral in this home, It feels organic and grounded. A built-in plate rack and fluted-glass cabinets framing the hood offer visual breathers from the solid cabinetry and add the English charm. We splurged on the stunning deVOL Heirloom gaselier above the island - it seemed a fitting choice as it’s inspired by historical pieces seen in old Victorian homes.

As we talked about the client’s lifestyle, we realized that island seating may be redundant given the adjacent dining nook. So in a departure from current trends, we opted for a walnut workstation island without any seating. By removing stools, the island became a stunning uninterrupted focal point, ideal for entertaining, functioning as a buffet allowing guests to move freely around it.

In addition, forgoing seating at the island allowed us to add extra deep drawer storage to the island for more than just cookware - they are fitted with integrated file systems. This allows the kitchen island to do double duty as a clandestine home office, housing all the family’s paperwork. This is a great example of how some design choices may be controversial but may work perfectly and beautifully!

Choosing the countertop stone is always a key decision. The client really loved dramatic color and veining in natural stones - She was in love with a green veined stone she had in her previous kitchen. We went to the slab yards together and passed by several stunning statement slabs that were gorgeous but were a little too much for the green kitchen. At the same time, the quieter white slabs didn't feel special. When we saw the Nuage quartzite, we both knew immediately it would be the perfect balance – it had dramatic grey veining with very subtle green tones which would look beautiful with the green cabinetry and against the warmth of the natural walnut island.

To ensure the kitchen didn't feel "too new," unlacquered brass hardware was used throughout. This living finish will patina beautifully over time, a deliberate choice that mirrors the home's history.

The Dining nook

Since space was tight, we did a banquette-style seating paired with a gorgeous walnut trestle table from Loewen Design Studios—the trestle base is a total game-changer for banquettes because it means nobody is knocking their knees when they slide in and out.
For the windows, I wanted something that felt raw and organic, so we went with traditional Indian chik blinds. The bamboo brings so much warmth and texture, and we added a block-print lining for a bit of privacy and some pattern. A mid-century brass shield chandelier hangs above. Sconces are from Soho home and plates are vintage.

The Living Room

In the living room, we wanted to balance historic details with modern furnishings.
The Ceiling: The team installed ornate acanthus crown molding and a handmade plaster ceiling medallion crafted by local artisan Lorna Kollmeyer.

The home had a modern electric fireplace that did not fit the home’s style at all - the client wanted a Fireplace that was more traditional. We designed a custom Edwardian-style mantle, only 5 inches deep to ensure we had good flow in the small scale living room. We decided to go with a set of Victorian-era mottled tiles from Storied Salvage Tile Co. Using vintage tiles is always tricky - we were a few tiles short and had to get creative and source other vintage tiles in a similar colorway to complete the design.

The centerpiece of the living room is a striking Williams Sonoma cobalt blue sofa—a bold color choice that the client was really drawn towards. To balance the high-saturation piece, we introduced earthy, browns in the chairs and custom drapery. The chairs are family heirloom pieces that we reupholstered in the Misia Paris-vienne fabric. The custom pinch pleat drapery features the casamance Herbes Folles fabric which adds texture and weight with it’s stunning embroidery.

A pair of vintage Italian gold leaf sconces flank the vintage artwork above the sofa while pieces like the Noguchi Akari pendant and the Saarinen coffee table keep the room look modern. This juxtaposition creates a tension that makes the room memorable. A custom Indian dhurrie striped rug grounds the space. The blue tones in the vintage artworks and the Les Indieness block print blue table cloth pull the blue sofa into the room.

The Guest Bathroom:

In the guest bathroom, we grounded the space with a classic black-and-white penny tile floor. To create a sense of continuity, we installed custom wainscoting painted in the same Oval Room Blue found in the stairway.

The true showstopper, however, is the Vendanges wallpaper by Isidore Leroy. The mural introduces a warm, ambient orange glow that completely transforms the space. This golden hue offers a sophisticated, striking contrast to the cool blue woodwork, creating a room that feels both historic and unexpectedly daring.

The Primary Suite:

The primary bedroom presented a classic San Francisco challenge: a closet that lacked the depth for standard hanging clothes. To solve this without sacrificing floor space, we designed custom built-in cabinetry that wraps around the bed.

The client craved color but insisted the room remain bright - We achieved this by covering the walls in Benjamin Moore’s Mountain Mist, a soft, airy blue that feels like a breath of fresh air. To provide a subtle, warm contrast, the custom cabinetry was painted in BM Soft Chamois, which keeps the built-ins from feeling too stark.

For the window treatments, we leaned into texture and tradition with custom pinch-pleat drapery in an embroidered Colefax and Fowler Melrose fabric. The delicate pattern perfectly complements the wall color while adding a layer of classic English charm.

To ground the softness of the room with a few sculptural elements, we hung a Made by Hand woven pendant above the bed and added a punchy green table lamp from Penny Morrison, topped with a patterned Pooky lampshade. The bed is layered for comfort with a coverlet from Morrow Soft Goods and a tactile blanket from Bristol Weaving Mill, making the entire space feel like a curated, restful retreat.

The primary bathroom was small, but I wanted to make it memorable and a place to linger despite the small footprint. We accomplished this by adding architectural interest and vintage inspired design details.
The Arched Bathtub nook: An architectural arch was created over the tub to provide a sense of drama and to make the small tub feel special. The entire space is wrapped in glossy Fireclay tile in a moody grey-blue hue capped with a black chair rail tile for a classic vintage look.

We chose classic plumbing fixtures and light fixtures in unlacquered brass that will age beautifully for a time worn look.

Guest bedroom 1 (The son’s room)

For both the guest bedrooms, we leaned into contrast trim as a tool to introduce architectural interest.
In the son’s room, we paired walls in Sherwin-Williams ‘Creamy’ with trim in Benjamin Moore’s ‘Lehigh Green’—a combination that feels both fresh and historic. The real magic in this room is the pattern play: we layered a floral Nickey Kehoe quilt with the wavy, rhythmic stripes of Schumacher’s ‘Sina Stripe’ fabric. A woven headboard provides organic texture. I love the pops of red - a Soho Home velvet pillow and the off-center vintage watercolor artwork sourced at a local estate sale.

Guest bedroom 2 (The daughter’s room)
For the daughter’s bedroom, we chose Benjamin Moore’s ‘Victorian Lace’ for the walls — a beautiful light muted pink—and grounded it with trim painted in a deep berry color BM ‘Warm Earth.’
We balanced the room with rich hits of mustard and brown. We layered the bed with a Melin Tregwynt Welsh wool blanket in a deep mustard hue. For the windows, we chose casual floral cafe curtains from Anthropologie. The artwork is a vintage find.

The Stairway:

Interestingly, the most telling change is found in the stairway. Previously a "builder-grade" afterthought, it stood out like a sore thumb and did not reflect the style of an Edwardian home. After several rounds of brainstorming, we decided to replace the drywall staircase with walnut stained wooden balusters and added wall paneling painted in Farrow and Ball Oval Room Blue. It’s a reminder that in a restoration, the connecting spaces like hallways and stairs can be great design moments that help tie the whole home together.