Be My Guest - The San Francisco Room

 I like to call the second guest room, the "San Francisco Room."

This is where all our collected books and prints of San Francisco ended up, which is great for out of town guests who might really appreciate it.

While we were remodeling the house, we were always on the lookout for vintage prints and maps of San Francisco which we had framed and saved to hang later.
We just weren't sure where!


Like this vintage black and white photo that we love of the wharf at the turn of the century.
I envisioned it, along with others like it hanging on the stair wall...

Originally, we thought we would hang this vintage map of San Francisco in the family room, but it ended up being way too big, so it now takes center stage in the guest room.
That's when I got the idea to hang our collection of old prints of The City in here and make it a theme.

This room started out as a white, uninspiring box.
I slowly added layer upon layer of texture to warm it up, starting with a seagrass rug layered with a Persian rug. Woven shades on the window for privacy were eventually layered with gray linen drapes which I had reworked from World Market drapes.

The canopy bed came from Ballard Designs and is upholstered in gray linen.

I wanted a canopy bed because I thought it would lend some drama to this room, which believe me, it needed.
Plus, I just love canopy beds!

 The most dramatic thing I did though was to wrap the room in this gray stripe raffia wallpaper.

It made all the difference in the world!

Now it feels very cozy.

The bedding is from Pottery Barn.

The lamps and nightstands were repurposed from our master bedroom in the old house.

A pair of leather chairs offer a place to sit and read all the San Francisco books in the room.

The rope mirror, a Marshall's find and vintage seashell lamp give the room a nautical feel as well.

A framed post card of Alcatraz and more books on San Francisco, including an old Herb Caen book sit on the night stand.

The ensuite bathroom is just like the bathroom in the tartan bedroom, down the hall.

I kept the same tile and apothecary sink, just to be consistent.

I realize this bathroom is kinda boring though.

It is too white!  Maybe some patterned towels would add some interest?

However, the bathroom is super tiny and so maybe being boring and white is a nice contrast to the grasscloth walls and all the fabric in the bedroom.

Sometimes I like to sleep in this room and pretend I'm a guest at a bed and breakfast in Martha's Vineyard, or Nantucket, or even San Francisco!

I can stay up and read until the wee hours, listening to the fog horn.    

Of course, Oscar loves the San Francisco room too!

Sources:

Bed:  The Louisa Canopy Bed, Ballard Designs

Wallpaper:  Phillip Jeffries

Bed Linens:  Pottery Barn

Leather Chairs:  Crate and Barrel

Pine Dresser:  Vintage

Window Shades:  Presidio Classics

Drapes:  World Market

Alabaster Lamps:  Vintage

Lampshades:  Target

Nightstand:  Ralph Lauren

Bathroom Mirror:  Pottery Barn

Apothecary sink:  Custom

I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for "Inspire Me Tuesday."

Also, Kim at Savvy Southern Style for "Wow Us Wednesday."

And, French Country Cottage for "Feathered Nest Friday."

Be sure to visit and check out more inspiring decor.

Exterior Progress: Paint and Landscape

 This week has been all about landscape--my favorite part of the remodel.

 That's because it is my own design and I get to see my vision come to fruition.

On Monday, 40 white roses, 3 Italian Cypresses, 100 boxwoods and 20 climbing ficus were delivered.

We couldn't plant yet because we had to wait for Tuesday's delivery of 14 olive trees!

 Bright and early on Tuesday morning, literally before sunrise, they arrived!

For the front and side of the house, six Swan Hill multi-branch olive trees were laid out for planting.

 I chose Swan Hill trees because they are non-fruit bearing and disease resistant.

They will be perfect for the San Francisco Marina which gets its share of fog.

 Inside the courtyard, I chose standard Swan Hill trees.  

That means that they grow from a single trunk and can be placed right against the wall.

 As soon as the trees were planted, Martin began planting the boxwood hedge which will border everything.

 What a difference!

Notice the exterior paint is finished too?

 The painters worked non-stop the week before to get it done, knowing the landscape was scheduled to be installed this week.

 The exterior stucco is Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Gray.

The white is a custom match to the new windows and I outlined the interior mullions in black.

 Copper downspouts also were installed prior to planting.

They will patina to a dark copper in a few weeks.

 This morning, I met Martin to finalize the planting.

The three Italian Cypress will punctuate the corner of the house and white Iceberg roses will fill in everywhere else.

 That may seem like a lot of roses, but I feel that to introduce too many different plants in such a small area would create visual chaos.  

Besides, white roses are kind of my signature!

 Finally, the entry is looking like I envisioned.

The copper lights were installed as well, even though they aren't electrified yet.

 The courtyard is looking pretty dramatic with the tall standard trees.

The small plants beneath are "freeway ficus" which eventually will adhere to the wall and create a living green wall behind the trees.  

The trees will eventually be trimmed after they adapt to their new home.

I have plans for a fountain, both in the entry and the courtyard.

It's beginning to look like a home!

This week has been so much fun, not only because I got to play in the dirt, but also have met so many wonderful neighbors who have been so encouraging and complimentary about the remodel.

We can't wait to move in!

Ground Zero

 It's hard to feel like there's progress being done to our home when it still looks like this!
Let me take you on a "ground zero" tour.  Be careful though.  Don't step on a nail!

This is the kitchen, looking through the wall to the master bath, bedroom and dressing room.

We are still standing in the kitchen but looking the opposite direction to our kitchen sitting area.

The window will be centered, offering a view to the center atrium that leeds to the roof deck.

Bear is not sure about all of this!

We are looking at the stairs that go down to the family room and two guest bedrooms, as well as the garage.

This is the master bathroom.

This will be the master walk-in closet.

The small window on the right will go away and the larger window will be smaller with a window seat underneath.  This was a guest bedroom next to the master and we chose to cannibalize it and make it into a glamorous master dressing room instead.

The stairs will get a minor adjustment and new rails.

I'm planning on a seagrass runner, bordered in black.

It's hard to imagine that this will be the family room.  

A wet bar will be at the far end of the room.  I'm planning on putting a sectional in here and placing the television over the mantel.  While it's not the typical design choice I would make, I'm learning to adjust and this will make for a more comfortable room for everybody.

This will be my mother's room.  It is actually being totally reconfigured.

The outside door will be replaced with a window and the entrance to the room will now be from the hallway at the bottom of the stairs instead of the family room.  

While small, it will be cozy and will offer privacy for her.

Our house is now "ground zero," because the only where to go from here is up.

And it begins today.

Today, the framers will begin to frame out the new walls that were relocated and start to put "humpty dumbty" back together again.

Stay tuned....

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps On The Porch For Metamorphosis Monday.

The Books At Boxwood House

"A room without books is like a body without a soul."  ~Cicero

I couldn't agree more.  One can design a room with fabulous wallcoverings, luxurious fabrics and elegant antiques, but if it doesn't contain books, then something is missing.

 When staying at The Boxwood House, I had time to notice all the details in the house.  There are many, but what really stood out were all the books in every room. 

Oh, and glasses!  Every nightstand and side table had a stack of books and a pair of reading glasses.

Many of the books in the dining room are about San Francisco or California and its history.

For those guests visiting from another state or country, this would be fascinating.

I find it fascinating and I live here!

There are books about the 1906 earthquake, books about the gold rush, books about the wine country...

...and books about Abraham Lincoln.

The owners of The Boxwood House are obviously interested in history, both local and American history and have been collecting books for years.

How wonderful to have a place to lovingly display them.

For a home that isn't lived in day to day and used as a vacation rental, the books have given it warmth and also a soul. 

 

As I wondered around during my stay, noticing all the details of this home, so beautifully decorated and curated, I imagined other guests staying here, enjoying the view, enjoying special events with friends and enjoying life. 

I thought, The Boxwood House truly represents all things home!

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience:  this is the ideal life."  ~Mark Twain

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.