Tasteful friends: 3235 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, a 1914 house of modest size with some big ideas, $6M
Opposite the Presidio and adjacent Cow Hollow, it's a handsome wood shingled house of 1914 by architect William Knowles. The large, oddly shaped and angled living room is open to a period beamed ceiling and eclectic style balustraded gallery space. There's a pleasant kitchen but beyond that a very nice conservatory and a wonderful sunken garden beyond. These spaces are what distinguishes the place. There are two bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.
It was evidently on and off the market, then with some work done for relisting. I'd argue that some of the more modern elements are the less successful, but my taste runs against the "luxury spa resort hotel" aesthetic. Still, the pluses outweigh the minuses, especially in this city where everything is always painted Michael Taylor white and has the same Michael Taylor "look," never mind that Taylor has been dead for 36 years. The early 20thC artist's studio look of the main room, the conservatory, and the garden make the house for me. The pollarded trees in front don't hurt either. Redecorated in a less neutral staged hotel look, it would be a very nice place, and neither too big nor too small.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | May 8, 2022 3:12 PM
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I can't find anything about it I don't like, except that it's in San Francisco.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | May 8, 2022 11:42 AM
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It looks like heaven to me, the tiny office in the alcove with the window, the conservatory and garden. I regret only that I was not born to vainglorious wealth.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | May 8, 2022 12:03 PM
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It doesn’t feel stripped - more whitewashed. Has a large friend ever worn the wrong shade of base? That’s what this looks like.
All of that wood detailing should create a comfortable “Please Don’t Eat The Daisies” vibe. Instead, it’s covered.
You can tell by that older kitchen cabinet this place once thrived.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | May 8, 2022 12:13 PM
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Beautiful house, in a beautiful location. Unfortunately somebody got hold of a bulk load of developers cream and went wild on the interior with an industrial sprayer. Fuckin EVERYTHING is cream, including a lot of the furniture. Where there is colour it looks great
Fortunately there are a lot of lovely period details under all that you can still see. I suspect a LOT of paint stripper is going to be needed. The modern elements are definitely less successful, and detract from this place. I'd love to find out what it looked like when it was built, and take it back to that although I'd mostly leave the kitchen, its one of the few modern bits that work. Once most of the wood is back to being wood again and the cream is gone, period furniture would finish the look and it'd be fantastic then
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | May 8, 2022 12:25 PM
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It seems to formal. The sunroom and the yard would be nice, though. Too many roof lines. I'll bet it leaks.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 8, 2022 12:28 PM
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Beautiful place, and for once nicely staged, too. The cream doesn't bother me at all in this case. At least not everything is greige.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | May 8, 2022 12:28 PM
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It is so close to the white house next door that I thought they were attached at first.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | May 8, 2022 12:43 PM
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Examples of two other houses in Pacific Heights by the same architect in the same style. The second example, 3240 Pacific Avenue, is especially nice.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | May 8, 2022 3:12 PM
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