Name: Kate and Mark Shaw
Location: The Mission — San Fransisco, California
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years owned: 6
Kate and Mark's decor mission is simple: to steadily curate their space by adding and rearranging pieces in a way that ensures everything serves a purpose — even if only to celebrate favorite memories. Their collection is largely comprised of natural curiosities, handmade items, and found objects.
The Shaws live in a 112 year old Victorian home in the middle of the Mission in San Francisco. Mark is a co-founder and engineer at Strava, a social website for cyclists who ride with GPS data. Kate maintains the delightful blog, HallReady, which focuses on the art of display within interior design. Kate's forte for presentation can be observed from corner to corner of their home. She displayed Mark's racing numbers along with various cycling prints in the den. The fireplace is adorned with a sailboat that Mark built in college next to antique postcards of the site where he successfully launched the boat. The two refined living room tables were built by Mark's father, and the mixed media drawings and photographs found in most rooms were made by Kate. To tie the rooms together, the couple used a neutral palette with snaps of warm tones. Consistency in color, texture and framing methods illustrate ways in which Kate has artfully arranged their stories and memories throughout their home.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: New Victorian meets preppy rustic .
Inspiration: Designers at The Commune, Roman & Williams, Darin Geise of Coup d'Etat, as well as family, friends and old movies.
Favorite Element: The wooden coffee and console tables in our family room. Mark designed the coffee table and his Dad built it. He also made the console table for us as a wedding gift. They're very special to us. Also, I'd have to say the wood floors with inlay borders. They are very old and a little beaten up yet they create a warmth and character that can never be improved upon.
Biggest Challenge: Aligning the style of each room to contribute to one, harmonious overall look. I like mixing and matching, but I don't want our house to look like a flea market.
What Friends Say: They feel relaxed here. We always want friends to feel the freedom to put their feet up and watch a game on TV or know that kids can spill juice and nothing's ruined.
Biggest Embarrassment: Cracks and decay. When you're house is over 100 years old, the list of repairs never ends.
Proudest DIY: : It's small and simple, but I love the antique shipping rope we found and coiled in the glass lamp. I just love the texture and the idea of something old and functional being so pretty to look at when displayed in a new way.
Biggest Indulgence: Good framing. Quality frame jobs make a big difference when showcasing art or simple memorabilia. Why not invest in how you display the pieces you love so much?
Best Advice: Decorate slowly and let style develop over time. I'm a big believer in buying classic pieces and changing out and adding art and accessories over time as memories are made and accents are collected. Your home tells the stories of your life, that's why it's so fun to invite friends over to visit and be a part of it.
Dream Sources: Juxtoposition, Waterworks, Summer House, Battersea, Nathan Nichols, Coup d'Etat, Natural Curiosities
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • Den: Benjamin Moore, Vintage Vogue
LIVING ROOM
- • Fish anatomy poster: I haggled with the staff at an Anthropologie store to buy it off of one of their displays.
• Jean Baptiste Geometric prints: Natural Curiosities
• Gouche shapes on book paper made by Kate herself.
• Glass Lamp: Pottery Barn, Rope purchased at Monument in San Francisco
• Pendant Lamp: Design Within Reach
• Wool Knit Blanket: Kate's Aunt Debbie made this for a wedding gift.
• Indian throw: Urban Outfitters
• Wool pillows: William Sonoma Home
KITCHEN
- • Cup and Bowl Drawing: Summer House. Mill Valley
BEDROOM
- • Striped Rug: Found at Past Perfect, San Francisco
• Painting: Hand me down from Kate's Grandma Mary Ellen.
• Twinkle Photo by Irene Suchocki on Etsy
• Mounted antlers: Past Perfect, San Francisco
BATHROOM
- • Charcoal Drawing of Gay Head by Amy Campbell
• Tuxedo shower curtain: Cliff's Variety, San Francisco
DEN
- • Cowhide Rug: SH Frank, San Francisco
• Point Reyes Seashore Map: Marine Map Store
• Model Sailboat made by Mark
• Cyclocross racing numbers of Mark's
• SF Bike Print, Chrome, San Francisco
Thanks, Kate & Mark!
Images: Beth Bates
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Well put together, I like it, epecially the office with fireplace.
I LOVE the green room...such a delightfully cozy room in an otherwise open and airy apartment.
You know, whenever I see antlers in a house tour I think, someone's gonna say something about the antlers.
I think the antlers are cool and help make the space unique. Deer also naturally lose their antlers. Reduce, reuse, recycle?
can someone tell me the source of the couch in the living room?
There are antlers (with skull, which I don't believe are naturally lost except at death) right inside the entryway. Why repeat it when, as sunan points out, there's a beautiful painting sitting on the floor nearby? Also, the wall space is way too large for that tiny pair of antlers.
Taxidermy has become the new "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster.
I love it! Beautiful! As for the antlers... well, I hardly noticed them; I was too busy enjoying everything else, especially the natural sunlight and artwork.
Beautiful apartment, makes me miss San Francisco. Where is the dresser in the bedroom from?
Thanks for the hall shots, it really gives you a feel for the layout, which I appreciate. I've always been fond of private stairwell entrances. Jealous!
LOVE IT!
Yeah, second on the couch...would love to know source. This was the best "tour" as it started from the front door and back...great job!
At all a great tour. I love the common thread in the run of pictures. The antlers in the bedroom is cool, nice place for it, the rest of them is too much. All the rooms look great and clean. A nightmare for me are the dirty pots and pans in the kitchen.
3rd on the sectional...
this was more a Home Tour than a House Tour....loved every second of it!
lovely home. what kind of tree is that in the living room? i need one!
beautiful. so much sunlight!
Uwe Preul said: "All the rooms look great and clean. A nightmare for me are the dirty pots and pans in the kitchen."
Daylight says:
Oh, come on now, those pots and pans don't look "dirty", they look "lived in" which by cooking is a great way to express love.
Love this space overall. Love the flooring in the bedroom/hallway and the kitchen. Hate the hall runners...Unless they are there for a reason, I'd lose them.
Oh. I thought the "stained", not dirty pots were a nice {real} touch...
Bravo.
source of the bathroom corner sink?
ANTLERS! Ugh. Aside from that, gorgeous. Classic SF. *What kind of tree is that in the living room?*
Where did you get the large, framed map? I love the white matting and frame. And I love maps!
Nevermind. In my excitement I asked a question before reading the source list. Marine Map Store. Googling now : )
it's a fig tree, argumentative lot.
Love this place! Especially the Blacke/green den & bathroom. Also love the hallway/banister & fireplace surround. This feels like a lived in home rather than a styled house. Love it!
Good job haggling Anthropologie out of that fantastic print. I also really loved the lamp, it has a nice touch of old world and modern all in one.
Those orange and cream pillows on the grey sofa would go perfectly with this Louis Lara designed handcrafted rug: http://bit.ly/h2ZBlv
Where'd you get that amazing banquette in the kitchen? Custom built?
this has to be one of the better home tours I've seen in a while. I love how you pulled all of this together, I have been reinspired. thanks for sharing!
Loved the tour! Such a clean, bright space you have! The oversized subway tiles in your bathroom confirmed it for me that I am going to go with the oversized ones instead of the classic size in our upcoming bathroom redo.
Also, was hoping to see the living room couch and bedroom dresser in resources. Please share where you got these great finds!!!
I was curious about the banquet, too. I think you picked furniture that really work beautifully with the scale of the home. Nothing looks squished or "lonely".
Way to represent, San Francisco! This is a great house. I love the marmoleum (I think?) in the kitchen. Looks like a kitchen that is used by people who cook...nice to see a place not so obviously staged. And, can I be jealous of the green den? Because I am.
Very chic. Love the palate throughout.
beautiful home! love the colors. :)
ps- where did you get your sectional?
What's with the need to have a head hanging on a wall! Thats so gross!!!!!!! Why not a beautiful painting of that kind of animal instead?
I loved the place. But the kitchen banquette is amazing --what a great place to sit and eat (after moving the waste bin away from it first, of course.) I liked the photos of the exterior and entry. Love the colors used and the artwork --and the cleverly done draperies / frabrics. Excellent !