PURE California: Los Altos, Orange County, San Francisco, Santa Barbara

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TIMELESS MODERN

For a Pacific Heights Home, San Francisco designer Heather Hilliard created a modern aesthetic. She and senior designer Phebe Williams installed an ethereal glass pendant by Studio Bel Vetro in the central light filled stairway. The fixture hangs from the fourth-floor ceiling; its floating glass bubbles dance vertically down the stairwell to the entry.

Heather Hilliard Design was brought onto the project by architects Ryann Marlowe and John Dorr of DomA. The homeowners hired DomA to remedy the claustrophobic interiors of the mid-century house. With its narrow lot, the property lacked a cohesive floor plan. DomA removed walls, installed a sculptural stairway with skylight, and added a terraced fourth floor to capture views of the urban landscape.

With a new open layout flooded by natural light, Hilliard and Williams selected white walls throughout with honey-colored millwork punctuated by dark metal finishes. To accommodate the active young family, they sourced stain resistant leathers and fabrics for the public rooms. Art adds color and pattern to the neutral living room. Janet McGreal’s graphic abstract, “Turquoise” defines the seating area. Facing the painting, the designers placed a sectional from Dmitriy & Co. They paired this with a circular coffee table upholstered in blue leather. A futuristic looking wingback chair from Camus completes the conversation group. The design team maximized space and function with a built-in desk spanning one of the walls.

In the contiguous dining room, painter Bonnie Neumann’s abstracted version of nature, “Reflections” centers the area. Streamlined dining chairs surround a ceruse rectangular dining table. Fuse’s linear metal and glass chandelier illuminates the setting. A circular hand-forged iron mirror reflects the stairwell. For more casual dining the family retreats to the adjacent kitchen and breakfast nook.

In the three-room master suite, Hilliard and Williams continued the cool-toned color palette. They upholstered one wall in Sandra Jordan’s luxurious pearl grey alpaca to act as a headboard. A pair of walnut nightstands from Gregorius Pineo flank the bed dressed in ivory alpaca with cerulean and amber silk velvet pillows. Philippe Grandvoinet’s decorative plaster wall finish unifies the bedroom with the bath and walk-in closet.

The fourth-floor Media room deviates from the restrained ambiance of the lower floors. Pia Stern’s abstract expressionist painting “Remember” radiates vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow. Hilliard and Williams grounded the space with a tactile hair on hide rug. The family, sports fanatics lounge on the contemporary sofa and Holly Hunt swivel chairs while watching games. Or they enjoy the cityscape from their rooftop terraces.

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