Echoes of the Past

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A 1904 dwelling is reinvented for today, while honoring its Edwardian roots

In the parlor, a handwoven tapestry by Sanam Khatibi hangs above a custom fireplace mantel and surround by Jamb; the room’s dentil moldings were added to connect to the house’s exterior. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

From the sidewalk, the 1904 house in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood exudes Edwardian charm with curved bay windows and dentil moldings. Until recently, however, the interiors stood in stark contrast. Because its former owners were avid art collectors, “there were a lot of white walls and track lighting that were intended for large-format photography and art display,” explains interior designer Lauren Geremia.

The kitchen nook features window shades by Adam Pogue, vintage Carl Malmsten chairs and a Josef Hoffmann pendant, while the island area includes pendants by Matt Alford Studio and leather-clad stools by Howe London; the hood’s handpainted tiles are by Maitland & Poate. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.
In the living room, the custom angled green sectional sofa by A. Rudin pulls from the colors in the Ryan Mrozowski painting from the clients’ collection; the Geremia-designed millwork, fabricated by Shada Build & Design, is ideal for toy storage.
Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

For its current owners, Geremia Design worked alongside Wade Design Architects to restore the home’s turn-of-the-century character. The two firms were no strangers to such undertakings, including previously collaborating on a 1919 Julia Morgan–designed residence in Berkeley. The San Francisco project involved a repeat client for Wade Design; founders and principals Ani and Luke Wade also designed the homeowners’ Wine Country property.

The dining room includes custom stained-glass windows by Theodore Ellison Designs, a vintage chandelier, a Dedar fabric wallcovering, a custom table from Nickey Kehoe and 1900s Swedish chairs. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.
In the powder room, gold torch sconces with amber glass tulip shades, circa 20th-century France, flank a sculptural 1930s Italian glass mirror; the walls are sheathed in a Dedar matelassé fabric. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

This time around, “The primary objective was to bring back a sense of history and detail to a home that had been stripped of most of its original interior details,” says Ani, noting the softer wood elements, plaster finishes, dentil moldings and door and baseboard trims. (Contractor Dijeau Construction is well-versed in buildings of this era too.)

Nestled into a stair landing is a custom banquette fabricated by Shada Build & Design, with cushions made by Franciscan Interiors with a Kravet stripe; the painting is by Sang Woo Kim. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.
In a windowed alcove, a fabric wallcovering by Décors Barbares is the backdrop for a custom sofa by Geremia Design, fabricated by Andrew Woodside Carter. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

Since the occupants are a family of five, creating kid-friendly spaces was another priority. According to Geremia, that translated to plenty of storage, durable fabrics and open areas in which to play—allowing the home’s four floors to serve the family well, now and for years to come. Walls were removed between the kitchen and living room on the main level, and an upstairs hallway was reimagined to include a nook for reading and relaxation. The backyard—where the landscaping fell under the purview of Pine House Edible Gardens—morphed into a terraced oasis for lounging, playing, dining and gardening, complete with a glass-enclosed pergola.

The wife’s study, lined in a Phillip Jeffries handwoven silk wallcovering, is furnished with a pair of Frits Henningsen wingback lounge chairs, a Vosges table and a Morelato desk; the oil on canvas is by Claire Sherman. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.
A 1970s de Sede leather swivel chair and a stool designed by Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup occupy a corner of the husband’s office. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

Inside, an overhaul of the staircase proved transformative. “It is the first point of entry and connects every level of the home,” says Ani, who likened the original staircase to a department-store escalator. Gone are the glass and chrome metal railings and hardware; in their place are wood handrails, warm colors and soft curves. “It is now much cozier and gives a feeling of a period home from the moment you walk through the front door,” she adds.

In the primary bedroom, beneath a 1930s green metal and brass pendant, the upholstered bed frame is a custom design fabricated by Andrew Woodside Carter; the painting is by Jess Allen. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.
The primary bathroom includes a tub with a bespoke mural by Connor Owens of SO Beaux Arts, stained-glass windows by Theodore Ellison Designs and custom limestone and marble mosaic floor tiles from Country Floors. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

For Geremia, who holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, the color palette is often a launching point and is informed by textiles. Shades of yellow, green and blue permeate the house, with red as an accent for a bit of drama. To cultivate seamless transitions, the designer carried over colors in adjacent spaces. Case in point: the parlor’s dusty robin’s-egg-blue plaster walls—the work of Christian Lyons of Kraftwerk Plastering—and the Vanderhurd periwinkle dhurrie in the neighboring dining room.

The son’s bedroom is enlivened with a striped woven wallcovering by Peter Dunham; the mirror by Jordi Vilanova and Swedish glass table lamp are both vintage. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.
The renovation yielded a sauna and a cold plunge, with floor and wall tiles by Fireclay and Waterworks plumbing fixtures. above: In the nursery, Connor Owens of SO Beaux Arts painted a mural on the 19th- century cupboard; the patchworked sheer shade is by Adam Pogue. below: Amid landscaping by Pine House Edible Gardens—including foliage in varying colors and textures, as well as blooms for all seasons and edible plantings— stone seating surrounds a fire pit. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

Given Geremia’s background in art, unsurprisingly, she not only advises clients on acquisitions but also relishes connecting them to talented artists and artisans. In the primary bathroom, decorative painter Connor Owens of SO Beaux Arts was tapped for a seascape mural on the soaking tub. “I wanted it to be really special—something that felt like an old [ J.M.W.] Turner painting,” Geremia says. And while Theodore Ellison Designs created bespoke stained-glass windows for various rooms, in the kitchen textile artist Adam Pogue was commissioned for a series of intricately handsewn window shades that resemble stained glass.

In the nursery, Connor Owens of SO Beaux Arts painted a mural on the 19th- century cupboard; the patchworked sheer shade is by Adam Pogue. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

The window treatments throughout were a significant aspect of the project—as a decorative feature that adds visual and textural interest, as well as a means to ensure privacy. Take the parlor, where Geremia introduced sheer shades, drapery and valances behind a curved built-in sofa tucked into the bay window. In the oval-shaped primary bedroom, beneath a new circular ceiling with cove lighting conceived by Wade Design, a custom bed floats in the space, providing a vantage point from which to enjoy the views when the sheer and blackout draperies are open. “I studied a lot of historical window treatments and styles,” says Geremia, who enlisted Maison Tenn20 to execute her concepts.

Amid landscaping by Pine House Edible Gardens—including foliage in varying colors and textures, as well as blooms for all seasons and edible plantings— stone seating surrounds a fire pit. Photos by Laure Joliet, styling by Tessa Watson.

These retrospective deep dives are among Geremia’s favorite parts of the design process. “I really love going to the library and going to archives,” she says. With their shared appreciation for restoring and reinventing homes, it’s no wonder that Wade Design deemed Geremia Design an ideal partner once more. This joint effort, says Ani Wade, “fulfills the owners’ desire for a home with a strong design language, layered with art and craftsmanship and designed to complement the vibrancy of modern family life.”