A Potrero Hill Renovation

A third floor addition and whole-house renovation modernized a funky cottage on an unusual, triple-wide lot in San Francisco.

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Here's what the site looked like before Bernstein arrived on the scene.

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In an effort to preserve the surrounding mature gardens, the addition did not alter the footprint of the house.

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The renovated cottage is light and airy. The flooring is re-milled oak barn siding. The house is heated with a hydronic radiant system.

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New details create modern geometries with vernacular materials. The stair brings light into the center of the house and the basement.

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Family furnishings are mixed with modern accessories for a sustainable interior design strategy.

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The new kitchen has stone counters; a walnut butcher-block island; corkboard for family projects and light on 4 sides.

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The modern breakfast area also serves as a mudroom with plenty of shoe storage under the window seat.

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The Eames “Crosspatch” and Mokum “Basalt” fabrics connect with the colors of the plum tree outside. The table is by Naoto Fukasawa and the chairs are by Arne Jacobsen.

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Galvanized sheetmetal chimney cladding, a steel trellis and steel railings bring modern details and materials to the exterior. The steel trellis acts as a "drag strut and anchor" for the whole house, providing necessary seismic reinforcement while minimizing invasive changes to the older shell.

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FSC-certified cedar siding and high-performance wood windows by Loewen add to the sustainable construction of the house.

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