The owners of this voluptuously renovated 1907 Edwardian in San Francisco weren’t sure they would ever move back to California. Both filmmakers hailing from the Golden State, they’d spent two decades in New York City and felt profoundly rooted there, but preparations for the elder of their two daughters to enter kindergarten prompted a reassessment. Ultimately, they decided that they wanted their kids to be around extended family—and to experience the joys of a California childhood—so when a friend offered to let them rent his home during a temporary relocation, they seized the opportunity.

Serendipitously, that home was in the Richmond District, a few blocks away from the sprawling Presidio—the same neighborhood that the wife had grown up in. The family spent five years in the green, mist-soaked enclave and eventually encountered another stroke of luck: they were able to purchase a house so close by, its garden abuts that of their friend’s house. “It’s like we’re going into retirement,” says the wife of their new lifestyle. “That’s how we built our life around here—hearing the fog horns and the ocean. We’re in the city, but this is about as suburban as cities get.”

The shingled building, which had last been updated in 1984, was in good shape with gorgeous original windows, but the traditional layout didn’t jive with the couple’s desire for bright, open, loft-style living. They called on interior designer Lauren Geremia, who had previously worked with the wife’s developer brother, to elevate the existing home while creating comfortable spaces that will adapt with the growing daughters. “This house is centered on creativity, activities, and family,” says Geremia.

Bringing in more light and accentuating existing views was tantamount, so the team focused on expanding windows, adding window treatments, and replacing a back wall with a contemporary Jada system that opens to the garden. “The kitchen was really tiny and dark,” says Geremia. Knocking down some walls and widening the opening to the dining room helped expand the space; roasted walnut Henrybuilt cabinetry extends out to become a multipurpose bar. The master bedroom absorbed a bathroom to become a more commodious, refined retreat, and new shutters frame the leaded-glass, diamond-pane windows.

In an early meeting with Geremia and senior designer Stephanie Willemsen, the homeowners expressed how much they loved the dramatic Japanese maple trees on the property, and those deep, red tones informed the plush interior palette.

“There was a certain rhythm to this design process that I believe was truly fun for all—we would propose daring ideas at every turn, and see what landed,” says Willemsen. Leaving the walls white allowed the designers to choose richer furnishings and finishes. The couple, who were used to a spare, industrial aesthetic, were surprised to embrace this direction. “Pattern fabrics were new and outside my comfort zone,” says the wife. “Fast forward to now, and it’s some of my favorite stuff. We have pillows with monkeys on them; I never would’ve known that would be something I’d be in love with. That’s certainly part of Geremia’s superpower.”

Perhaps the dwelling’s most showstopping moment is the daughters’ bathroom, where Glithero botanical tile clads the shower. Weeds gathered in London are pressed and stored in a herbarium, and later arranged into mural-like compositions that are then meticulously transferred to cloth, traced onto the tiles, and scribed into the glaze. “That room is creative, feminine, and fun,” says Geremia. “It’ll still be cool when the girls are 16. I’ll remember this bathroom forever.”

Upstairs, an office where the couple write and edit converts into a movie room at night; a Murphy bed allows it to turn into a guest room for visiting friends and family. “There’s almost a tree-house quality,” says the husband. “The alcove pokes out into the backyard. For the palette, we wanted a little bit of a Big Sur beach vibe.” The ochre paint adds a sun-drenched, ’70s sensibility. “You could have a fondue party in there,” says the wife.

The sheer volume of carefully wrought details makes this home “truly an international effort,” says Willemsen. “There were three millworkers developing custom designs; paint came from three companies; tiles were designed and fabricated in the Netherlands; custom rugs were woven all over the world; customized sofas were made in Italy, Portugal, and New York; and every fabric and finish sample was reviewed by a group. Every material transition was considered and communicated. Most of the furniture was tracked down in a showroom and visited in person.” The result is a sophisticated, 3,200-square-foot home that artfully reflects the family’s personalities and needs while feeling absolutely unpretentious and effortless.

For the auteurs, it’s been a fulfilling undertaking not so dissimilar from their usual work—aside from one major difference. “It felt like an artistic collaboration,” says the husband, “but usually our movies just go out into the world.” Says the wife, “Now we’re really living in it.”

More by Geremia Design:

Geremia Design Imbues an Olson Kundig Retreat With Warm Tones and Modern Art

Vineyard Views Are the Priority at This Calistoga Hideaway

AutoCamp’s Epic New Location Brings Upscale Airstream Lodging to Yosemite National Park

Project Credits:

Architect: Hobstetter Architecture Studio, Sarah Hobstetter / @hobstetterarch

Builder: Acri DDC, David Dino Acri

Interior Design: Geremia Design, Lauren Geremia and Stephanie Willemsen / @geremia_design

Sound Engineer: We’ll Install It! Home Theaters, Mark Swenty

Cabinetry Design: Henrybuilt, Julianna Morais; Kenwood Cabinetry, Inc.; Korts & Knight Custom Cabinetry, Spencer Knight

Appears In

A Pair of Filmmakers Give Their San Francisco Edwardian a Sensuous Edit