Friday, February 7, 2014

A Night At The Boxwood House

 Welcome to The Boxwood House, my home away from home for just one amazing night.
My friend has lovingly restored, designed and decorated this very special San Francisco home.  It was quite a project that she and her husband dedicated 2013 to and they offered it to us for the night of my 60th birthday.
 To say that I was excited is an understatement!
The moment you walk through the door, the home welcomes with its classic elegance.

The living room in its 50 shades of gray.
The word that comes to my mind is "sexy!"
The chesterfield sofa is upholstered in pewter velvet, the armchairs in a gray wool menswear stripe and the draperies are a wool stripe as well.

 The view however is what you notice when you walk into this room.
Just outside the window is the Palace of Fine Arts, built in 1915 as part of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.  In fact this home sits on one of the sites of the original Expo.

Talk about San Francisco history!

The dining room features an exquisite crystal chandelier.
Almost all the chandeliers in this home are vintage crystal, curated over time and restored by my friend's husband.
The etageres have an amazing collection of vintage books about San Francisco, California and the Panama-Pacific Exposition.


The buffet is burl wood, found at a consignment center and refurbished.


The kitchen is located in the back of the house and features gorgeous soapstone counters...


...and Sub-zero refrigerator and Wolf range.
And a fabulous chandelier!

I'm in love with the soapstone sink.


 The kitchen has an eat-in breakfast area too.
And another fabulous chandelier!


Let's go upstairs to the master suite which also looks out to the Palace.


All I can say is sleeping here was an amazing experience.
First of all the view is killer and second the bed with its Frette sheets are so luxurious.
I slept like a baby!
Another fabulous chandelier too!

 The master bath has a wonderful black and white marble check floor.
Oh, and did I mention the floor is heated?  Yes it is!
Imagine waking up in the morning, walking into the bathroom with bare feet only to realize the floor is warm!  So luxurious!

I have a confession.
I pretended that I live here!
There I said it.


There are two more bedrooms upstairs, as well as another bathroom and laundry room.
This room features a king bed with a sitting room.


The third bedroom has a full size canopy bed.
I felt like Goldilocks!
Seriously, I wanted to crawl into each bed!


The upstairs bathroom even has a view of the Palace from the shower!

 Going back downstairs....

...I forgot to mention there is a small room off the hall that serves as an office.
That mirror is actually a television by the way!
I love this room.  It is upholstered in gray flannel which makes it even more cozy.

Across the hall from the office is a full bath that services the main floor and has a Palace view as well.

On the ground level, at the back of the house is an amazing outdoor area featuring a curtained loggia and a "man cave" that I could just move right in to!

 Even though this is an outside room, it is very protected from the San Francisco weather.


With a fireplace at one end and several outdoor heaters, it stays pretty cozy, especially if you close the curtains.


Under the loggia there is also an outdoor kitchen and dining area.


The "man cave" is wallpapered in grasscloth and features leather sofas, a huge flat screen television on one end of the room...


...and a kitchen on the other end, complete with a kegerator.


A bar cart is at the ready under a vintage maritime painting.
Most of the art in the house is either of San Francisco, vintage Panama-Pacific prints or is maritime themed.


The backyard is formal with an abundance of boxwood.

Back upstairs, the sun is setting and the house begins to take on a warm, romantic glow.


The Palace is glowing outside the living room window as the "blue hour" descends.
Night time at The Boxwood House is absolutely magnificent and we were pinching ourselves as it got dark and the Palace took center stage.


As we toasted my 60th birthday with glasses of very special champagne, we decided we could never tire of this view!

A special thank you to my friend Teresa for making my birthday so very special and whose talent and attention to detail has been an inspiration to me for over 27 years.
 I am very honored to have been a small part of this project, offering my opinion whether they wanted it or not, as well as the official photographer!

For more information on The Boxwood House, visit their Airbnb site here, or the VRBO site here.
A website is in progress and I will share it as soon as it is ready.


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27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just simply amazing!

Lori E said...

I can pretend I live there too. Wow. Every room is so beautiful.

Susan B. said...

What an amazing place! I would dream about living there, too. There are so many good ideas here. My husband and I (okay, mostly I) dream about redoing a place with character like this in Cambridge or Boston or maybe even SF in the next year. I hope you don't mind that I pinned a few of the pictures.

I think telling your friend to buy this place was really good advice!

Thank you for sharing this with us. Susan

Sonia said...

That is the most gorgeous VRBO ever! I love that area in San Francisco and all the beautiful views. Thanks for sharing this amazing home!
Miss Bloomers

Scribbler said...

Happy Birthday! I would say you transitioned in high style. This place is so beautiful. My two favorite things: that Wolf range and the view!

Thehouseofhampton said...

A dream come true. My initial thought was, " I wonder if this is a VRBO" ? I was in a trance by the time I read to the end. Oh...imagine my surprise when I saw that is was. I'm so happy you had a magical birthday, and even happier that you were able to share the information about the VRBO. For selfish reasons of course!
Sharon

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh my word, what an amazing house and before I forget, Happy Birthday!!!!!. Hugs, Marty

Shannon said...

Absolutely gorgeous! The attention to detail is amazing. I loved every bit of this home and view. How lucky to have such a talented friend who also let you stay the night ;)

AntiqueChase said...

OMG~

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness, that is amazing! I am not a fan of gray, but this house had me at hello!! Just beautiful. Happy 60th!

Terri~terrileeauthor said...

Is magnificent a good enough word? I cannot believe how gorgeous this entire house is and how perfectly situated in its surroundings. The view is to die for, it's as good as any view in Paris. What a wonderful gift from your thoughtful friend.
Happy Birthday, again. That was almost worth turning 60 wouldn't you say? :)

Unknown said...

This magnificent home took my breath away. How simply divine it was for you to be wrapped in such luxury for your 60th. As it should be.

Cheryl said...

Magnificent! I want to live there too! What a beautiful way to celebrate your birthday.

Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage said...

Happy Birthday! What an elegant place! I especially love the outdoor room!

Mary Ann Pickett said...

HAPPY birthday...you are certainly celebrating well!!! I was just at a friend's house for dinner with a very similar view (so they must be neighbors).

I would never want to leave that gorgeous home. So, no pinning photos right? This would be a great place for my family to rent when they come to visit.

vignette design said...

Hi Mary Ann,
Yes, you may pin photos. Thanks for asking. Check out the websites for the house for rental information.
It is on Baker Street.

sheilaa131 said...

What a beautiful place to celebrate. Thanks for sharing. Happy birthday.

Kathysue said...

Omgosh, it is absolutely breath taking. Every single room, Love it and what a perfect place to celebrate! xo Kathysue

cilla rule said...

Wow what a fabulous treat, the house is gorgeous. Lucky you. Very best wishes for your sixtieth year
Cilla rule

Betsy said...

I do the same thing when I visit places I really love and thats pretend I live there. I like that bright and cheery bathroom. Place is beautiful!
betsy

The Tablescaper said...

So elegant and restful. Lucky you to get to stay!

- Alma, The Tablescaper

shiree segerstrom said...

Great post. I'm blown away. I'm working on a home in St. Francis Woods, one in Balboa Heights and another in Daly City. Thank you for sharing! Shiree'

Cheryl in Wisconsin said...

What an incredible home, gift, and opportunity!

cindy hattersley design said...

This place looks amazing! What a wonderful job they have done! Lucky you to have stayed there!

Marisa said...

Utter perfection! The quintessential San Francisco dream home. Stunning. The view... to die for! You lucky lady! :-)

Sarah said...

What a dreamy home. Obviously the view is amazing, but I love that it has a masculine feel with the wool textiles. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous home. Can't believe I missed this when you first posted, but I see now that the date is while I was in France last fall. Glad it popped up below your current post for a look back. '-)

Nancy's Daily Dish said...

Every room is perfect! What a nice treat for your birthday!

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