Name: Greg, Brian and their dog Mr. Biggs
Location: Mission District — San Francisco, California
Size: 1,100 square feet
Years lived in: 5 — owned
A feast for the eyes, this home is inspired by Golden Age elegance and luxury of the 1920's Art Deco era. Homeowners Greg and Brian have meticulously embraced color, texture, and metallic patterns reminiscent of historical grandeur and their home is teeming with Hollywood Moderne chicness. After months of an arduous bathroom renovation, their place is even more vibrant, opulent and ready to dazzle visitors.
Furthering the line of luxury and comfort, Greg and Brian provide choice accommodations for everyone in their home, not just themselves. Their dog, Mister Biggs Barker, is a Chiffon (half chihuahua, half brussels griffon) who has his own monogrammed four-poster bed — although, he settles for spots of sunshine in their light-filled living room, too. The token women of the home, who are sure to avert evil with their super powers, comfortably reside on custom display shelves covering a wall in their office niche. Even doughnuts, robots, and big-eyed creatures from the likes of Greg's eccentric San Francisco art collection hang proudly on the walls. No doubt, fanciful character and modern chic find harmony alongside the gorgeous striped, dotted and metallic wall textures and fabulous furnishings throughout Greg and Brian's decadent condo.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Hollywood Regency; Modern; Art Deco
Inspiration: I get most of my inspiration from reading blogs like Apartment Therapy! Also Design Sponge, Things That Inspire, The Style Files, Retro to Go, The Peak of Chic, Habitually Chic, Dwellers Without Decorators, Desire to Inspire, Digs Digs, Casa Sugar, Alkemie…
Then there are the magazines I read: Elle Decor, Atomic Ranch, California Home & Design, and House Beautiful.
I have books by design legends like Billy Haines, Gio Ponti, John Lautner, David Hicks. I also like the work of several current designers, like Woodson & Rummerfield, Jonathan Adler, Jay Jeffers, Preston Lee, Greg Natale, Jaime Hayon, Jeffrey Bilhuber, Jan Showers, John Loecke, Kendall Wilkinson, Miles Redd, Kim Betzina…I could go on and on.
Favorite Element: Our neighborhood. The Mission District is vibrant and always evolving…we are surrounded by fantastic restaurants and cafes, and we are only a stone's throw away from the Noe Valley and Castro Districts. It's a natural extension of our home in many respects.
If we had to pick one furniture piece, it would be our Wegner wingback chair in the living room — puts a smile on our faces every time we use it.
Biggest Challenge: Actually, it's not being able to do our whole place all at once! We have slowly been acquiring furniture and accessories for the last 4 years. While our place is mostly put together, we still have a list of projects we want to complete. We have the most plans for the bedroom at the moment — (rug, curtains, new chest of drawers, bench, accent chair, etc. all still to come). Also, we are just now starting to collect art and other pieces to add as accents, after investing so much time/money on choosing furniture for the last four years.
What Friends Say: "I love all the color", "This place is well put-together!", "That Keane painting is creapy, get rid of it", "This is not a child-safe home", "You get great light in here!", "Where is the guest bedroom?"
Biggest Embarrassment: We had custom-made bookshelves fabricated based on my specifications at Books & Bookshelves here in San Francisco. I wanted the bookshelves to be black. My big mistake was in telling them to paint the bookshelves black, instead of having them stained dark instead. When we received the bookshelves, they were 'tacky' (meaning objects on the shelves sort of 'stick' to the surface). They still are to this day. Well, live and learn.
Proudest DIY: The stripes we painted for the accent walls in the dining room and living room. Also, the wrapping paper we used as a backing on our living room bookshelves.
Biggest Indulgence: A complete bathroom teardown and remodel — working with Tineke Triggs, principle of Artistic Designs for Living (interior designer) and Cook Construction (contractor).
Best Advice: Start with a blank slate, as much as that is reasonably possible.
When we moved from our old 710 square feet apartment into our new 1,100 square feet condo, we got rid of most of our hand-me-down and particle board furniture and tried to live with the bare essentials (we didn't have an 'emotional' attachment to most of our possessions). It was very soothing for a while to have all the empty space. It's easier to imagine the possibilities and reach your design vision that way.
Dream Sources:Plantation SF, L I M N, Monument, Alameda Antiques Faire, Roche Bobois, Art Deco Collection SF
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • Dunn-Edwards Mixing Base: 901 Permasheen L/1 Gallon custom formula 1-15,4-1y,13-.125, semi-gloss (trim in most rooms)
• Benjamin Moore Golden Cherry 069, flat (hall walls)
• Benjamin Moore Succulent Peach 068, flat (hall ceiling)
• Dunn-Edwards FOB 5W15-X formula 1-15,4-1y,13-.125, flat (living room walls)
• Dunn-Edwards custom, flat (living room ceiling)
• Benjamin Moore Sea Mist Green 2041-50, flat (dining room walls)
• Benjamin Moore Soft Mint 2041-60, flat (dining room ceiling)
• Benjamin Moore Spring Meadow Green 2031-40, eggshell (kitchen walls/ceiling)
• Benjamin Moore Neon Celery 2031-60, semi-gloss (kitchen accent wall)
• custom beige (bathroom wall & ceiling)
• Decorator's White (bathroom & office cabinetry and trim)
• custom blue (bathroom sink cabinetry)
• Benjamin Moore Sweet Bluette 813 (office walls & ceiling)
• Benjamin Moore Coconut Grove 1029 (bedroom walls)
• Benjamin Moore Firewood 1027 (bedroom ceiling)
• Benjamin Moore Chocolate Mousse 1025 (bedroom trim)
ENTRY
- • custom landing strip area with drawer and shelving: Seidman Woodworks
• Sputnik ceiling light: InMod
• art: pet portrait by local artist Missy Feigum
• Saville valet tray: Jonathan Adler
• Jaiper hand-tufted rug: Gilt Groupe
LIVING ROOM
- • Swan Chair, Barcelona chair with ottoman, Noguchi coffee table, Nelson bench: Alphaville Design
• Couristan rug: Macys
• sheepskin throw: Design Within Reach
• red ant pillow by Beu Hisey: Propellor
• lamb pillow covers: West Elm
• custom bookshelves: Book & Bookshelves
• custom media wall shelving: Seidman Woodworks
• cylindrical LED lights: Design Within Reach
• Saarinen end table: Room & Board
• custom nesting side tables: Room & Board
• lacquered box: Plantation SF
• AJ Floor Lamp: Design Within Reach
• Marina media console by Cristian Wicha: BDI
• vintage owl table lamp: Monument
• Platner side table: Design Within Reach
• monkey figures: Monument
• Louis 5D sconces: Ligne Roset
• Venus sconces by Luceplan: Lumens
• Blomus magazine holder: Findecor
• Sony Bravia 52" plasma: Best Buy
• small glass vase and bird ceramic: Dandelion San Francisco
DINING ROOM
- • Cross Extention Table by Matthew Hilton: Design Within Reach
• dining chairs: Design Within Reach
• Mercer buffet: Plantation SF
• wall art: Petaluma artist Pat Smoot (painting above buffet); San Francisco artist Eric Joyner (framed on wall)
• plaster ceiling medallion: San Francisco Victoriana
• mirrored wall clock: gifted
• Angela Adams Spike Pool rug: Zinc Details
• vases on table: IKEA, Heath Ceramics
• Teco art pottery (on buffet): Room & Board
• candlestick: SFMOMA Museum Store
• Flower Loop vase: Black + Blum
• murano glass chandelier: Design Within Reach (we got this at a warehouse sale for a steal!)
• Eames molded chair: Design Within Reach (another warehouse sale purchase)
• all plates and servingware: Crate & Barrel
• Reidel wine glasses: Sur La Table
• Chilewich woven placemats: Chilewich
• napkins: Dandelion San Francisco
KITCHEN
Our kitchen was remodelled by the previous owners. This was one of our criteria when house-hunting — we wanted something that was functional and contemporary without need to remodel. We love the bamboo veneer cabinetry, poured concrete countertops with their worn patina, and floating shelves!
- • birds wall decal: Etsy
• Kitchenaid mixer: Macys
• compost bin: Crate & Barrel
• Oven: Garland
• Refrigerator: Northland Designer Series
• K4 faucet: Grohe
• Banana fruit bowl by Harry Allen: Velocity Art & Design
• white bowls: flea market find
• WMF bar tools set Heinrich Fiedeler & Michael Raasch: Unica Home
• oval art frames: Cuddly Rigor Mortis by Kristin Tercek
BEDROOM
- • Wing bed: Charles P Rogers
• Classic Greek Key bedding: Williams Sonoma Home
• Vanguard nightstand: Horchow
• wood side table: Horchow
• Tulip pendant light: BoConcept
• iron crown canopy dog bed: The Well Appointed House
• nightstand lamps: vintage
• desk: Ethan Allen
• deco dresser: hand-me-down
• art: vintage Keane print from 1960's
• Volute Mahogany wallpaper: Bradbury & Bradbury
BATHROOM
- • interior design by Artistic Designs for Living
• wall tiles: Thassos Polished Octagono
• floor tiles: Celestial Starry Blue Polished
• faucet: Samuel Heath
• sink: Kohler
• medicine cabinet: Robern
• Calliope Sconces by Thomas O'Brien: Circa Lighting
• Bling Chandelier by Robert Abbey: Lumens
• all cabinetry/shelving: custom woodwork
• countertop and kickplate: Caesarstone
• shower hardware: Rohl
• shelf: Restoration Hardware
• laundry hamper: Hafele
POWDER ROOM
- • interior design by Artistic Designs for Living
• Anemone overhead flushmount by Robert Abbey: Lumens
• Serenity Chocolate wallpaper: designyourwall.com
• mirror and shelving: custom woodwork
• toilet: Toto
• Phantom Circle floor tiles: Waterworks
• faucet: California Faucets
• Isabella sink: Whitehaus Collection
OFFICE
- • desk unit: Techline
• display case and storage wall: custom woodwork
• Stool 60 by Alvar Aalto: Design Within Reach
• Aeron chair: Sit For Less
• Barton Flushmount light fixture: Restoration Hardware
OTHER
- • Honeycomb blinds (living room, dining room, bedroom): Hunter Douglas
• double-paned windows: American Home Renewal
• environmentally friendly Insulsafe blown-in insulation: SDI Insulation
Thanks, Greg & Brian!
Images: Beth Lundell Garver
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looooove all those juicy colors - amazing - love the lighting fixtures and stupendous use of wall paper. my favorite spaces are probably both bathrooms!
oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD!!
this is one of the most fun, fabulous, colourful, flamboyant, and purely luxurious spaces i've seen featured on AT. definitely putting this on my bookmark menu.
i'm so envious of the wood in the kitchen (and the matching dog's food/water container!!) as well as that gorgeous tiling in the bathroom.
also, i could easily imagine myself spending hours in that hans wegner wing chair, reading in the light of that AJ lamp while my feet were comforted by the sheepskin between my toes. ahh so jealous.
but really. this space is amazing and you guys certainly have great taste and sensibility when it comes to design. thanks for sharing your great space! very inspiring.
the bathrooms are incredible. nice job.
Two words: bathroom envy.
Oh my Gosh, is this the same Greg & Mr. Biggs Barker from Duboce Triangle and old OWP days?! I'm sure it is. You have done a most fabulous job with your place. Love your new digs. I'm still in the midst of a five year work in progress with my loft, but you have given me inspiration ! --- Anita
Hyperventilating with jealousy at my desk. Love, love, LOVE. The color! The kitchen cabinetry! The bathroom, and its ludicrously gorgeous tiling! The notched doorways! The -- EVERYTHING! I just kicked my cubicle wall in a fit of joy.
The bathrooms and kitchen...wow. I love the cabinets and counter tops along with the green wall color. Fantastic post.
Am sorry but this is just way over contrived! Matchy, matchy. OMG = Where are the matching nightstands???
Great colors...however.
Opulence? They has it.
This place is beautiful on so many levels...the stripes,the color, the fixtures, the lamps in the bedroom, and don't get me started on the living and bathrooms. Well executed.
Bathrooms are outta control and I'm jealous of your sputnik lamps. I've always wanted one... but I have no place for it right now.
That dining room - specifically the chandelier - literally dropped my jaw. Gorgeous.
+1 QueenoftheFall.
This is in the top three best spaces I have seen on AT. It is marvelous all around. The two monograms on the bed pillows are so dear.
I just have one question. I can see the powder room has a toilet and a sink. But does the full bath have a toilet? Just wondering.
Love the bathroom! Love that sink & shower and the colors! I've always wanted to change my bath tub shower combo into a shower. Just don't know if it'll affect the value of my townhouse if I sell it. But I'll change it one day, I'd like to have a shower just like that!!!
I love this house. Totally covetous right now.
Hello everyone and thanks for your kind comments. This is Greg, one of the two owners of the house.
In answer to question from "Village", we don't have a toilet in the main bathroom area. The two bathroom spaces (main and vanity) are adjacent, however. It is an old 1938 property and originally the bathroom had just a toilet in the smaller room, with a door pass-through between the two spaces. For the remodel, we decided to divided them into two entirely seperate spaces (the door was just plain ackward) and put a small sink in there with the toilet. I also waffled about whether or not we needed a bathtub after the remodel. However, in the years we lived there before the remodel, we never once used the old bathtub. Our old shower was in a different area than the bathtub so... the bathtub was taking up valueable unused space. I would further add that we live on a top floor with no elevator, and only one bedroom. Therefore, this would rule out a family with kids, or older person (both of to whom a bathtub might be essential) from ever living there. So we ditched it entirely -- and are very happy about it!
Very nice place. love the tiles in the bathroom!
LOVE! Just moved to San Francisco and the separate toilet thing seems to be everywhere...so annoying. I wish I weren't renting so I could knock the separating wall down! Clearly you guys have taste since I also have the same coffee table, which I love (except for finger prints on the glass). You guys are definitely an inspiration to me as I try to mix my modern with the old! Thank you.
Mr. Biggs!!
Beautiful!!!
Oh,
My
Stars!
The living room isn't turning me on - I think because the yellow walls and southern light are just too much for me...
...but the rest of the place?
Oh!
My!
< LOVE >
totally ♥ing the wall of DC superheroine figures. makes me wish i hadn't just given away the 52 Isis I had.
ZOMG love your house. Please adopt me. BEST house tour EVER!
I don't think it would be possible for me to live here because every time I would walk in, I'd explode from sheer joy.
Thanks for the other online design sources. Some are really inspiring, and I've added some to have favorites folder.
I hate nothing in this house! You two absolutely rock! You lucky dogs you!
Love it! Did I miss the information about the sofa?
Absolutely phenomenal! Love love love love the use of color. The bed is beyond incredible, and I covet every single light fixture in your home. Spectacular! Thank you for sharing.
First I have to say I am quite jealous of your Wonder Woman action figure collection. I love the display! Second...the colors and the textures are beautiful and I love how they play off each other. What a great place in a great city. So jealous! :)
This is my favorite tour in a long time.
I love it EXCEPT for the living room. As creative and cohesive as the rest of the home is, the living room just comes up short.
Thanks again all for the mostly positive comments. Greg here. Some more responses:
"guerilla" -- 'QueenoftheFall'? Sorry, don't get the reference. Are we queeny? Perhaps, a bit at times.
"Googie" -- the sofa was purchased from a SF company that is now out of business. We had to return the couch twice (to LA! where it was manufactured) because of problems with the upholstery. Were they still open, I would not have recommended them. Lesson learned, go with a reputable company that can vouch for quality and has a good return policy.
"Sally305" -- not sure why the living room falls short. We designed a custom media center, custom bookshelves, couch, etc. More planning & work by us went into that room than any other. I respect your opinion of the design aesthetic if it's not to your tastes.
If any of you plan to hire an interior designer for your bathroom, I can vouch for ours. She (and the contractor, too!) did a great job and met all of our expectations and demands.
And yes I have an obsession with collecting Wonder Woman figures. Although, you will see a few other heroines on display besides just her if you look carefully. Vampirella, Buffy, Isis, and Elektra Woman, for example.
Love the colors, the patterns, the knick knacks (gave up trying to spell tchocthe), the wonderwomens. And I would build a house around that dining room chandelier.
So lovely!
greg, you have exquisite taste!! i love your place.
Greg, guerilla was referencing an earlier comment by user QueenoftheFall and agreeing with the statement.
Impeccable. Just beautiful. Timeless. Your home is amazing.
I'm crapping myself over that print of the spaceman and the giant donut...Who is the artist? It's pretty much the best thing I've ever seen.
"guerilla" -- 'QueenoftheFall'? Sorry, don't get the reference.
Sheesh, Greg, do they not have LOLcats on your internet?
I do like the understated luxury of the bathroom tiling - I've never seen that style before. I also like the combination of blues and greens in the dining room.
Nevermind, I see you referenced the artist in the resources section. Awesome, thanks!
A tour de force of magnificent design! Every detail is perfect, right down to the miniature chairs in the powder room inset. The color counterpoints are a visual masterwork. The chandeliers are beyond wonderful; I'll take that green glass treasure in the dining room, please, now!
Splendid. Love the shaped doorways, the lovely greens, and especially the golden-cherry-coloured hallway.
This place is so f$%&*$(*g fabulous, that I want to retch right now!
1) Who changes the light bulbs?
2) do you 2 have any woman who gets to share in your splendor? Possibly...a housekeeper?
The entire place is a work of art. Love the dog! He looks like he knows he belongs there. :)
I appreciate the care and expense that went into the place, but I really dislike it - showy, over-decorated, fussy.
I want those bathroom tiles! Awesome.
Amazing from start to finish. The bathroom is juste perfect.
I love that they are none of those stupid overstuffed vignettes with books and knick-knack. Colors are used in perfect amount, and I love the decoration !
I'm not a fan of wallpaper, but boy do I love the deco inspired wallpaper in the bedroom!
lovely job!!!
I'm not seeing what so many people love about this house tour. It's so busy and gaudy.
Those are some hella stylish nerds, right there.
I want to live in your bathroom.
Wow!! Not totally my style, but, guys, you have really cool stuff....
The dining room chandelier...
The wallpaper in the bedroom...
The monogrammed bedding (my grandmother had everything monogrammed, so classy)
That very intriguing painting of the men with the doughnut on the table...
And best by far!!!.... The wonderwoman collection!!! I didn't know such thing even existed! Amazing!
I could really look at this all day. So many amazing details and layers of delight. One of my favorite places so far on AT.
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Somehow it manages to be opulent & colorful without losing its restfulness factor. Your color choices are fabulous. Also, I so feel you on the 'not being able to do it all at once' thing.
One more thing - I adore all of your overhead lighting fixtures. Done gushing now.
So glad to see someone else in love with Art Deco style.
I've had my eye on that Volute wallpaper by Bradbury & Bradbury in the bedroom for a long time. It's nice to see it in someone's space.
the colors! the colors! omg the colors!
Love the painted ceilings in the living room- and really liked the stripes in the bedroom and the living room- gearing up to do it in my entryway.
Loved loved loved the bathrooms- hands down the best on AT to date.
very interesting place- I've gone back and taken another look and keep seeing new details that I like.
Wonderful job!
fantastic. the colors. the fixtures. the balance.
fantastic.
Oh, this is simply too awesome for words. I'll just mention one thing - the owl in front of the [world's most incredible] deco wallpaper is sheer genius.
This is very different from my style and yet I'd vote it #1 house tour EVER. Congratulations on a staggering accomplishment!
Absolutely gorgeous, sexy home. In particular, I am head over heels for every single one of your light fixtures. Bravo!
Love everything but the living room. Just my opinion, but it doesn't jibe with the vibe of the rest of the house. More 50's sputnik while the rest feels more deco/regency to me. But great job with it....love how the green kitchen complements and highlight the green chandelier...genius!
Hi all, Greg here.
"Turkeylurk" -- it's funny you mentioned that re: living room. That is totally a reflection of my changing tastes over the last 5 years! The living room was the first one we focused on furnishing/decorating. At that time, I was completely into modern style and was planning to do our entire home in that style. As the years went by, my tastes changed and I was leaning more towards Art Deco, which is where I've been at for the last 2 years! Keen observation.
"Mosaicwench" -- yes I was not a fan of wallpaper either, I thought it was old-fashioned. Until... I started exploring further. There are so many wallpapers that are chic, sexy, and suit every taste out there. So we went for it!
great place - but deco door ways and 2 other pieces do not make deco from MCM....
I don't comment on AT very often, but after seeing this home, I feel that I have to! WOW! I wish I knew these guys personally! I feel like I can really FEEL the amount of forethought and care that went into all the work detail. (Seriously-- Greg & Brian, let's meet for martinis the next time I'm in SF.) The light fixtures, the art, the little glass owl... I'm seriously swooning and bookmarking THIS post in my "Home Inspiration" folder.
(and that awesome shot of Mr. Biggs had me laughing out loud.)
... what I really want is a source for the crystal (or whatever) owl-thing on the nightstand. I HAVE NO NEED FOR SUCH A THING, but it is cute. :(
@vividiti
... but they didn't say it was mcm....
@vividiti
Oh, nevermind....
Wow! I'm completely floored by this amazing home. Imagine my surprise when I saw my little paintings in your kitchen :D
I hope they bring a smile to your face every day.
Thank you,
Best,
Kristin Tercek
Amazing apartment tour! Can you please tell me where you got your sectional couch and chandelier...me wants!!!
Wow, wow, wow. So beautiful! I love everything about this home! So bold and colorful and textured but not overdone at all.
Is it weird that my favorite part is the bathroom? That tile is dreamy.
Incredible light fixtures.
It is a tour de force tour -- so much to look at and take in. So much talent and energy and love has clearly gone into every detail. I love the no-holds barred use of color that reveals an artist's eye so that the colors work together without being simply a repeat of ones used in other rooms. The overall feel is palatial even though the apartment is not that large, no doubt due to the exceptional quality of the work in each room. I know that most of us on AT love our DIY tours, but we need tours like this one for inspiration, too!
WOW! I love it! Everything, from your walls, to your furniture to your lighting fixtures. Beautifully done but with an edge and a sense of humor. Your have my dream bathroom, I'm bookmarking right now for when I redo mine.
I want the little glass owl and the gothic, dark painting of the little girl and the moon. Those would go so nicely in my space.
I'm usually stark modern but your tour and some other influences are slowly bringing me over to the glamorous, hollywood regency side.
Truly amazing house tour. Y'all have some good taste!
Love Love Love the bathroom!
I'm usually into more modern-looking places; simple furniture and stuff with clean lines. But I am blown away by this place. It's fantastic. Also, props for the impressive superheroine action figure collection.
this is not my style at all, but how everything is styled and put together is really beautiful. I love how the walls are full of color and texture, it gives each room its own vibe and makes all your pieces really pop!
The murano chandelier in the dining room makes the whole place for me. LOVE!
Fabulous.
Really love the lamps and chandeliers.
There very little not to like here but I would be claustrophobic in that narrow kitchen space. Does that happen to you? If not then don't even pay the least attention to me and my phobias.
Wow. I would never leave that bathroom. Love love love the mosaic tile floor and shower tile pattern.