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.

Conceptual Landscape Design

I was hired to create conceptual drawings for a landscape redesign at this home located in the Forest Hill Extention neighborhood in San Francisco.  The homeowner wanted to remove the front lawn and replace it with more drought tolerant plantings, and fill the rear yard with a lawn, and plants that would create a tropical look.

Blissful Back Patio

I was hired to create artificial sunlight for this otherwise gray concrete back patio in the foggy Richmond District of San Francisco.  This homeowner also wanted to dress up her patio and make it a little more private.  I used lattice to close it off from the rest of the shared garden, and painted the gray concrete wall a creamy yellow color to reflect light into the space. I added hanging baskets and planter boxes filled with flowers that will eventually cascade down the wall.

Designed to Sell

This Victorian multi-unit building was being put up for sale right off Dolores Park in San Francisco, and my job was to enhance the facade to make it inviting to as many potential buyers as possible. For that reason, I suggested a neutral scheme of five colors: a light mocha base color, crisp white trim, taupe accents, black doors, and gold detailing. I also suggested that the aluminum windows be replaced. The end result was a quick sale for well above the asking price.

French Provincial Influence

I remodeled the front of this Novato, California ranch home and its front landscaping to give it a French Provincial feel for the HGTV show "Curb Appeal". Some architectural details were updated such as new stucco and window trim, and I designed a bistro style stone courtyard for outdoor entertaining. We added a wall fountain and iron dining table to create an inviting environment for eating or just enjoying the outdoors. A wrought iron entrance gate, driveway lanterns, and detailed new front door added the perfect touches to tie together my concept.