Long known for its shipyards and heavy industry, the Dogpatch District along San Francisco’s southern waterfront has evolved from a once a gritty neighborhood to one of the City’s most sought after addresses. We’ve loved watching the neighborhood transform, so were delighted with the opportunity to work on this dynamic Dogpatch condominium interior design project.
Our clients, well-educated and well-traveled parents of a young child, wanted their home to be a peaceful, retreat-like environment – in calm colors but with a dash of playfulness. The palette was very soothing and cool – dark grays, navy blues, and flaxy linen, accented in unexpected citrine.
At the entryway to this well designed condominium, a unique bent glass table with multiple utilitarian uses. We styled it with vintage gears turned sculpture, artwork sourced from SFMOMA, and a bundle of pink tulips.
It’s common for a condominium interior decoration project to include an open floor plan and this one needed defining. Creating the living room, a large, L-shaped, customized sofa – upholstered in soft, cozy flannel. Well-constructed; customized; produced with renewable fibers and grades of materials; and all at a pricep0int that helped us keep costs down. Now this inviting sofa is a gathering place for the family.
The textured wall behind the sofa gives the room a tailored, masculine look. This specialty wall covering looks and feels like fabric, but is made of easy to maintain vinyl; a helpful durable material when you are decorating for a family with a small child. A circular ottoman, upholstered in performance leather, is again, a fabric choice intended to accommodate the needs of a young family. This specialty material is washable, wears well, and is easily wiped down if their little one makes his way into the living room with jam on his hands. (Click here to read more about performance fabrics.)
The shelf below the cushion serves as a place to stow magazines or books while you have your feet up.
An elevated console table behind the sectional moves the furnishings away from the wall and closer to the fire creating a more intimate space. Bright yellow lamps frame the sofa, the owners’ beautifully hung artwork, along with custom designed pillows and woven window shades, all harmonize to create inviting layers of colors and textures.
The framed piece of art above the customized sofa perfectly complemented our color choices. Using our clients’ art gives the home a soulful feeling and it was a happy discovery. Once we saw it against the existing palette of dark shades, we knew it was just the sass the room needed. Dark purples, shimmering olive and cheerful shades of yellows – used sparingly, these rich colors created a well-balanced and modern room without being precious. Above all, this home had to be comfortable, beautiful and functional.
In this case (and most frankly) the pillows make the project. Even a retail-sourced condominium interior decoration project is greatly enhanced if you factor custom pillows into your rooms.
From the sofa perspective, we de-emphasized the television as focal point by relocating the flat screen, from above the fireplace, and positioned it in a custom built-in designed by one of our craftsman. He installed strips of LED lights in the case work which is operated by the press of a button so the lights can be dimmed, on or off depending on the mood.
A set of period perfect, mid-century modern trinity nesting tables adds sculptural function while relaxing on the sofa with drinks or dinner. Creating the apex corner to the room, a swivel chair allows its occupant to converse with people in the dining room, the open kitchen, or as intended, the living room. And, it’s a thrill for the toddler who appreciates the fun of spinning around in the chair.
Photography: Ramona d’Viola
Leave A Comment