From Sarah Akkoush
Movable and space-saving design elements define this creative family home in the Mission District.
In San Francisco’s Mission District, owners Zachary Scholz and Felisa Preskill fell in love with the potential of a 1954 home, despite it being just over 1,100 square feet and lacking the warmth and functionality they needed for their growing family. Initially a single level of living space over a garage, typical of many homes in San Francisco, they sought to increase their livable square footage by tapping into the unused potential of the cavernous garage below. The couple enlisted design team Seth Paré-Mayer and Kelli Franz of atelier KS to drive the transformation of the underutilized space into a new first-floor living level with a library, media room, and new master suite—all within a limited budget. Scholz, an artist, and Preskill, a reproductive health advocate, were enthusiastic about being involved in the design process from the start, a sentiment warmly embraced by Franz and Paré-Mayer. Through the collaborative design process, the team conceptualized a creative, functional home that would thoughtfully and beautifully bring together family, books, and art.