Third Time’s A Charm
Author:Lindsey ShookAfter three times at bat, architect Lewis Butler nails it
Butler considers the project a successful alchemy of old and the new. “You take a modern family with an interesting background and an old, usual home and you get an almost chemical reaction. One people visit and come away talking about.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
The owner elaborates: “We went with the glass as we were worried about being too far away. On the weekends, one of us usually lets the other sleep in a bit longer with the shades pulled, while the other goes down and fixes breakfast. It was one of the hardest rooms to figure out, but I think it’s one of the best parts of the house.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
Stairs lead to the top floor’s glass-lined master suite. “It’s like having your own pied-à-terre,” says Butler. “You have a bedroom, but also places to read and watch television. When they want to be somewhat connected, there’s the glass wall. When they don’t, we have shades that come down. It’s a true escape.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
The second level is dedicated to the kids. A landing outfit with an oversize floor lamp is perfect for reading, and each child’s room displays their unique personality. A playroom on the lowest level with a ceiling net, climbing wall and oversize floor cushions, is dedicated to activity.
Photographer: Patrik Argast
The newly expanded living room posed furnishing challenges. “We had to make a few attempts to get the seating just right,” says Butler. “We solved it by breaking it down into four seating arrangements [with] places for large and small gatherings.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
“My wife and I collect art with the help of Lisa Lindenbaum of Lindenbaum Art Advisory,” says the owner. “We wanted spaces where we could display it, and room to add more or shift works as the collection changes and grows.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
That restaurant connection led interior designers at Butler Armsden to select stainless steel cabinets and a patinaed copper backsplash. “We wanted a professional grade kitchen that didn’t feel too sterile,” says Butler.
Photographer: Patrik Argast
“Making the kitchen central was key for my family,” says the owner. “My wife owns Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen in the Mission. You can usually find our family lined up at the 13-foot counter or sitting around the large table in the kitchen.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
The couple's four kids and an ever-expanding art collection inspired a large part of the home's design.
Photographer: Patrik Argast
“Glass windows and doors on the rear facade make the house seem like a lightbox. They also take advantage of extraordinary views and lead to decks and stairs that connect the house to the backyard.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
“This area is an exciting part of San Francisco where houses sit at an angle to the street and to views of the city. After wrestling with the floorplan, we decided to take the walls out on the main floor, making it essentially a five-room space.” says Butler.
Photographer: Patrik Argast
The front facade was given a fresh, blue hue. Inside, the home was completely reconfigured, with a large, open-plan living room, kitchen and dining room on the first floor; kids’ rooms and an open landing playroom on the second and an uppermost level that serves as an adult sanctuary.
Photographer: Patrik Argast
“Our agent resisted showing it to us,” says the owner. “Its layout was choppy, it had no garage and there wasn’t good access to the backyard. But we looked at it as a chance to start over and make a clean slate of it.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
Butler knew the house, a large, stately Tudor built around 1906, very well: “I had worked for two previous owners,” Butler explains. “When I met this family, I could tell they wanted to do something better than good, and I felt we would get it really right this time.”
Photographer: Patrik Argast
When architect Lewis Butler of Butler Armsden Architects met his new clients outside of their just-purchased home in San Francisco’s Ashbury Heights, he felt excited.
Photographer: Patrik Argast