Dolores Street Victorian Facade Restoration

I restored the facade of this 1898 Victorian residence down to the last exact detail with the help of a historical photograph.  The asbestos shingles were taken off to reveal original siding underneath which showed traces of the details removed long ago.  Wooden moldings and trim work were added along with intricately cast plaster pieces to bring back this dull and drab facade to its original glorious splendor.

Mission District Facade Restoration

This Mission District home was built in 1904 and its original facade was stripped and covered up with both asbestos shingles and vinyl siding.  The new owners wanted to recreate the original facade and bring the exterior back to its former glory.  I was able to locate a historical photograph of the residence which allowed us to reconstruct the facade exactly as it used to look, down to the last detail.  A monochromatic color palette of blue tinted grays was selected, along with a pewter metallic accent to highlight all the beautiful new details.

Turn-of-the-Century Facade Restoration

The homeowners of this Noe Valley residence contacted me to help with the restoration of their turn-of-the-century home. The original details had been stripped off and the facade had been covered with aesbestos tiles by previous owners. With the help of historical photographs, the exterior was recreated almost exactly as it was originally built.  Cast resin pieces, large crown moldings, and bold colors were used to make this facade shine.

Edwardian Facade Restoration

Located on the border between Glen Park and Noe Valley, this 1907 Edwardian home had been covered up with salmon pink aesbestos shingles by previous owners. Using redwood and cast plaster elements, I restored the facade to its original beauty. Our color scheme included two different greens, cream trim, and touches of gold in just the right places. The end result was a gorgeous restoration that brought the home from being the biggest eyesore, to having the prettiest face on the block.

 

Noe Valley Remodel

This small Noe Valley home was in the process of getting a huge modern remodel and addition.  The owners wanted to keep the existing original facade, and return it to its original look.  I did that by removing the add-on bay windows, and replacing all the rotting wood corbels and brackets with new, period correct woodwork.  A modern color scheme of grays was selected, along with a bright orange door for a bright pop of color.

Victorian Cottage Facade Restoration

I restored the facade of this quaint little Victorian cottage which was featured on HGTV's hit show "Curb Appeal", and this home was also featured in a home improvement book published with the same name.  Located in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, it had been stripped of much of its original detailing, and the windows had been altered on the front.  I used the proportions and period details typical to this type of Victorian residence to bring it back to its glory. I selected a paint color scheme made up of soothing blues, greens and a little gold leaf to show off the new facade.

Noe Valley Facade Restoration

This Noe Valley Edwardian home had been covered with stucco by previous owners.  I brought the facade back to an original design using lots of redwood moldings, decorative shingles, and cast plaster elements.  A sophisticated color palette was chosen to put the final touches on this beautiful facade.

Rockridge Landscape Design

I partnered up with another designer to create this modern landscape for a traditionally styled home in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, CA. The hillside location called for terraced levels which incorporated an outdoor kitchen, fireplace, eating area, vegetable garden, fountain courtyard, and lawn.  Smooth stucco was used along with Limestone and pops of bright color to create this beautiful landscape design.

Old Meets New

The owner of this San Francisco home wanted to give it a facelift and new landscaping.  Because of a previously altered floor plan, the front entrance was located on the ground floor next to the garage instead of on the middle level up a flight of stairs.  It would have been impossible to recreate the original exterior of this home because of the new layout.  For this reason, I decided to combine both modern and Edwardian design elements to call attention to the changes made to the home, instead of minimize them.  The result is a modern bottom floor and landscaping, which gives way to Edwardian period detailing above.

Mid Century Addition

This Marin County home was designed by Joseph Eichler in the 1950's. The owners wanted a new privacy fence, entrance gate, new paint, front steps, and landscaping in order to blend with the original Mid Century Modern look of the home.  I used my attention to detail to create new additions to the home which would not take away from the original aesthetics that Joseph Eichler had intended. My design process of this residence was featured on an episode of HGTV's "Curb Appeal".

Restoration of Edwardian Flats

This Edwardian flat building was in need of some facade repairs, as well as a whole new updated color scheme. Some of the plaster corbels had fallen off and the original detailing was beginning to show some wear due to its age.  I matched and replaced the missing pieces of decorative plaster, replaced some worn metal roofing on the bay windows, and came up with a fresh color scheme.  I used a bold blue color for the base, a crisp, clean white for the trim, a deep blue as an accent color on horizontally running details, a historical burgundy color on the doors and window sashes, and a pewter metallic accent color to adorn parts of the cast plaster.  The result is a striking, classy facade which draws attention to all its beautiful original details.

Urban Restaurant Design

I designed the interiors of this restaurant located in what used to be an old Victorian storefront, in San Francisco.  The owner wanted a look of understated elegance, combined with Spanish Colonial influence, which would create a welcoming, warm feeling for all the guests.  The challenge was to make a small space feel big.  We contrasted light walls against dark floors, with warm accent colors in a few locations to create the inviting ambiance.

Forest Hill Landscape Makeover

This home is located in San Francisco's Forest Hill neighborhood.  It needed a new landscape design to give it the proper street presence it deserved.  I used traditional plantings for both sun and shade, as well as some large stones to create the new landscape design.  I used both mounding and vertically growing plants with burgundy and green foliage to blend well with the home's yellow exterior walls. Azaleas and rhododendrons with white and light pink blooms are tucked into the shaded corners of the property.

Picture Perfect Noe Valley Home

This Noe Valley home was being put on the market for sale.  I completely redesigned the backyard and staged the interiors to show off the desirability of this beautiful home. Using a limited budget, I worked with the owners furniture as well as some new pieces to create beautiful picture perfect rooms, so the spaciousness of the floor plan was conveyed to any potential buyers.  In the backyard, I stained the existing concrete slab a warm terracotta color to create an inviting feeling, and planted several new trees, plants, and a bamboo hedge for privacy.  I set up outdoor patio furniture complete with stone fireplace mantel to show the potential of an outdoor living area, as well as to show off the yard's large size.

Dolores Street Facelift

This Edwardian home is located in the Dolores Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. The owners wanted to update their exterior with a sophisticated palette that would blend well with the old bricks which ground the home.  For the body color, I selected a green earth tone from a historical collection, and paired it with a cream off-white trim. I used a dark blue-gray detail color on the doors and window frames, and just a touch of gold leaf to highlight the plaster elements of the facade.

Suburban Landscape Remodel

The owners of this Belmont, California home wanted to redesign their large side yard which included a swimming pool surrounded by a small, sloped lawn.  The lawn was removed to make way for a new larger patio surrounding the pool, built in seating area, fire pit, grilling area, retaining wall with built in lighting, and gazebo.  I selected stone veneers and pavers with warm gold and gray colors to create an inviting color palette. The owners added new plants around the perimeter to complete this landscape design.

Victorian Facelift

Located in the Noe Valley neighborhood in San Francisco, this Victorian home was in need of some attention to improve its curb appeal.  The front steps, landing and fence were all falling apart, and lacked any of the beautiful ornate period detail which was present on the rest of the house.  I designed a new entrance and fence to blend with the original Victorian moldings on the facade, and a wrought iron gate and flowerbox to balance the rectilinear lines with some soft curves.  Finally, I created a sophisticated color scheme to finish off this home's great new look.

Stick-Eastlake Victorian Makeover

This Stick/Eastlake style Victorian home is located in San Francisco's Castro district.  Its beautifully ornate, original facade was covered up by a dull and drab color color which made it sink into the background.  I devised a scheme of five colors to showcase this beautiful facade and transform it into the beautiful painted lady it was meant to be.

Glen Park Victorian Facade Restoration

 This turn of the century Victorian home sits on a hill in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco.  Its original redwood exterior was stripped off and covered with vinyl siding  I was hired to recreate a Victorian facade appropriate for the home which would make it the gem of the block.  The owners were also very in favor of an extremely vibrant color scheme which normally isn't my style.  However, we were able to compromise by using only colors from a historical color palette to give the right amount of whimsey and class to satisfy everyone.

What Used To Be

I created this hand drawing to depict what may have been the original facade of this Edwardian home in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. The original front was removed and covered with a plain coat of stucco, which was commonplace in the 1930's-1960's when the ornate fronts of Victorian and Edwardian homes were considered outdated and unattractive. This style of home with a peaked roof typically had beautifully ornate cast plaster details covering parts of the facade, along with redwood mouldings and siding.