Creating New Traditions

Author:Lindsey Shook

Courtney Coy Interiors puts a modern twist on a traditional Edwardian home in San Francisco

“This project, more than some others, really was a collaboration with the clients. We both had the same goal to make the house feel brighter and more youthful, but while also preserving and even restoring character and charm,” says San Francisco designer Courtney Coy on her firm’s work inside this 2,400-square-foot Edwardian house that was originally built in 1908.

Having gone through several bad remodels—the new owners who are a young couple with a baby on the way—were eager to create a brighter home with modern functionality. “When I first saw the house, the whole space felt a bit heavy and tired. It had been remodeled in the early 2000s by the previous owners, and there were a lot of beige, honey wood tones and black granite,” notes Coy.

“The most significant change was just the overall brightness and fresh feeling of the finished space,” says Coy. “This house had great bones and the layout (mostly) worked really well for my clients, so it was all about making it bright, light and youthful.”

While most of the house needed simple, cosmetic changes, the kitchen called for major adjustments to the layout. Coy and her team built out a laundry room that was previously in the kitchen, forcing the team to relocate the refrigerator and alter the island size. “Even though we technically lost some square footage to the laundry room, the kitchen actually feels bigger and functions better now,” says the designer.

The clients’ main request was to furnish the home with durable furniture and fabrics that could withstand years of family entertaining and the wear and tear that occurs in a home with small children. “We used a lot of performance fabrics that look luxe, but can handle heavy use,” notes the designer. “This family cooks and entertains a lot, so we chose quartz for the kitchen counters so that no one would be afraid of a red wine spill or a marinara incident.” Coy added moments of bold color and print throughout to accent the more subtle furniture while appealing to the family’s fun personality. “One of the things I’m both proud of and feel was really necessary for the space was the wallcovering in the dining room,” she says. “That room is really central to the house, you can see it from every room on the first floor, and the wall treatment just adds that quirky touch that lets you know this is a fun, young family. It also bridges the more traditional elements of the home with the more modern design choices.”

The final result is a high-functioning home full of statement moments and natural light. Coy says of the big reveal, “Overall the client’s have been really happy with the home. They also love to entertain and I’ve heard they have gotten lots of great feedback from family and guests, so I think that adds even more to their confidence in the decisions they made.”