Next Generation

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Form + Field infuses a San Francisco home with artistic charm and character

In the living room, vintage details add character including a Uno Kristiansson floor lamp and a set of 1960s Italian nesting tables.
Photos by Mariko Reed, styling by Rosy SF.

“I’ve had a  lifelong penchant for arts and crafts, and studied architecture and mechanical engineering at MIT where I also did coursework in furniture, product design, and art history. I then spent 10 years in corporate and startup tech environments with an interlude at UC Berkeley to get my MBA,” says designer and founder of Form + Field Christine Lin about her approach to her practice. “The firm’s design philosophy is centered around longevity and creating balance with the architecture and surroundings; intentionally crafting holistic environments that stand the test of time. Design principles: empathy—do what feels true to the client’s identity and way of life and embrace the unconventional; integration—work holistically with all senses, the architecture, and surroundings, both physical and cultural; balance—create balance through juxtaposition; longevity—Craft environments and select materials that stand the test of time.”

A Brendan Ravenhill chandelier hangs above a Saule Scotch Brown dining table by Fabio Fantolino.
Photos by Mariko Reed, styling by Rosy SF.
A pendant from &Tradition adds dimension in the custom kitchen. Photos by Mariko Reed, styling by Rosy SF.

She and her team applied their signature approach inside this 2,800-square-foot Edwardian home in San Francisco for a couple who had previously lived in the home and love the historic feel but wanted a more modern feel inside. “The clients want to live in this home for a long time, and while they had moved in a few years before we started the project, it was incomplete,” she notes. “The goal was to complete it in a methodical and thoughtful way that ties everything together.”

A moody tile from cle and wallpaper by House of Hackney adorn the powder room. Photos by Mariko Reed, styling by Rosy SF.
A custom banquette wraps around the library that is painted in Regal Select by Benjamin Moore.
Photos by Mariko Reed, styling by Rosy SF.

They gutted the kitchen and bathrooms and devised a new furniture plan throughout. “Being an Edwardian home, there’s some distinct spaces and they didn’t quite have a feeling for how the furniture and kitchen should be laid out,” says Lin. The team removed a fireplace in the dining room that was causing the dining table to obstruct the walkway between the living room and dining room. “For the kitchen, it was an eat-in kitchen that had a small table under the large windows and the cabinetry was just along the walls,” she notes. “It felt like there was a lot of unused space. We brought in the island which they could use as casual dining area for the whole family.”

In the primary bedroom, the bedroom is from De La Espada, the lights are by Urban Electric Co. Photos by Mariko Reed, styling by Rosy SF.
In the bathroom the tile is by cle and the lighting is from Studio Dunn. Photos by Mariko Reed, styling by Rosy SF.

What finishes the home is the thoughtfully curated vintage furniture throughout. “The vintage pieces give the overall furnishings a character that the clients’ love, that “old San Francisco house” feeling,” says Lin. The selection of materials including limestone, soapstone, bronze and zellige tile enhance the historic pieces while adding the updated touch that will take the home into the next generation. When asked how the clients felt on installation day, she recalls, “We continue to marvel at how wonderful it is to live in our house now. Luxury and comfort and awesome design—just great.”