Name: Moses
Location: Twin Peaks, San Francisco
Favorite: The original 1940's kitchen faucet that comes straight out of the wall
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"I cannot live in a white or off-white room," says Moses when we talk about the blue wall in his bedroom. In fact, he painted the wall blue the day he moved in so as to not have to spend one night in a white walled room. Dark blue, he says, helps him sleep. Moses is an historic preservationist and it shows. In addition to preserving architecture as a profession, Moses preserves history via his wardrobe, his collections, and his car. From his hand embossed business cards, to his antique filing boxes, Moses embodies a more elegant and civilized era.
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There is so much to take in and so many stories to be told when touring Moses' home. The artifacts are rife with a past and are beautiful. Moses treats family heirlooms and the adopted history of "instant relatives" with the same attention and respect.
Some of the pieces come from his family's 300-year old New Hampshire farmhouse, like the brick he uses to prop open his bedroom door or the chest lined with early 1800s New England news that his father wanted to throw away.
The farmhouse has been in the family since its inception but the family has been around these parts even longer. Other pieces are found by diligently scouring eBay or antique stores for the most marginalized of objects.
Moses lists his fetishes for me with pride: chrome (usually in the form of hubcaps), valises (old suitcases), vintage ties and bowties, Olivetti typewriters, and other people's family photos. Moses pointed to a portrait of a very austere 19th-century woman's portrait on the wall of his library and said, "She came out of the same barn as this sewing table" -- referring to an estate sale in Vermont where both were purchased.
Clearly impressive is the faux wood paneling of the library, introduced by Moses. Once a house-painter by trade Moses first painted the wall brown, then used an oil pencil to draw lines that would represent the panel grooves, and finished by "drawing" the wood grain with gel stain and a foam brush. He used an image from "The Art of Faux" to inspire his technique.
His roommate Brian, a computer wizard, owns this vertically sprawling Twin Peaks house and contributes to the unique quality of the home via his tech inspired interventions and an art appreciation.
The entire home is run on solar power, including the hot-tub. Brian has commissioned the same artist that created the venus fly trap BBQs in the backyard to sculpt metal mountain goats that will appear on the roof, in the garden and walking up the front of the facade.
Brian figures that, at 600 feet above sea level, mountain goats are more appropriate than flamingos but as good a landmark when giving directions.
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(Edited from a post originally posted by Jill on AT:NY on 07.06.05, and again on AT:NY on 06.12.06)
(Update 08/08: The BBQs shown in the slideshow were created by Daniel Hopper. More photos can be seen here.)
Very cool. Love the blue paint. Typical bachelor pad, though --- I couldn't help noticing the toilet seat was up. Hee hee!
view Griffin's profile
Yes, way cool. The faux wood paneling in the library nicely sets off the vintage pieces and books in a very playful way. Love the blues which give the space a sense of nostalgia. Nice way to incorporate history into your everyday life. A great tour!
view timmy jr.'s profile
That luscious blue in the bedroom - is it Evening Sky by Benjamin Moore?
view jujudzn's profile
that blue is stunning...I would love to know the color too
view hanako66's profile
Moses has an awesome home. Unfortunately, Moses also has a name ending in 's,' the plural of which continues to perplex AT writers. (Hint: It's not "Moses's.")
view Molly Margarita's profile
Molly, "Moses's" is not a plural of "Moses". It's possessive, and it's correct.
view greer's profile
Molly Margarita,
You make me laugh! For years I've written, for instance, Moses', and in fact this was originally written like that, but recently I re-read Strunk & White (the Maira Kalman version), and learned I was wrong... I just can't win, can I? Time to follow my instincts.
view leslie's profile
I love the library!!! Oh my god I could spend hours in there. I also like that there were actual, friendly looking people in this tour.
view karenunderstanding's profile
Am I the only person who went directly to the slideshow and bypassed the interview part of this post?
As I was reading the slide show captions, I thought Moses was talking about himself in the third person, like Jimmy on Seinfield.
Regardless, neat home and great use of paint colors and techniques, Moses (Jimmy).
view Seaside's profile
"Typical bachelor pad, though --- I couldn't help noticing the toilet seat was up. Hee hee!"
Uh Griffin...a typical bachelor pad does not have two men in a tub. Hee hee!
view GHB's profile
Very nice! Love all the vintage pieces and the shrines! Plus the venus flytrap bbq is beautiful as well as functional. A very unique home.
view suzy8track's profile
I seem to be the only one a little put-off by Moses's decor -- he seems to have some OCD tendencies and a bit too much worship of the past going on.
view madampince's profile
A little to seedy, artsy, Dickensian, bohemian-chic for me. It reminds me of the book Artistry of the Mentally Ill, or if Elle did a feature on the home of someone like Henry Darger.
view Bruised's profile
i too, cannot live in a white or off-white room. makes me anxious and testy. i need rich color!
view indiasoup's profile
...though it is rather painfully indie... almost ostentatiously so. you know the type, aging hipster can't let go.
view indiasoup's profile
Borrowing a line from someone else - ew - just ew. I think everyone likes a few old items - keeps us grounded - but I can just smell this place and see the dust fan out every time one sits down. There's not one inspirational design technique nor storage idea in here. I believe I've learned something from almost every posting I've seen at AT...except for this. It just looks like a bunch of junk neatly arranged.
view sierraberra42's profile
Like Moses I have a fondness for older things, but I think this is a bit much. I kept execting Miss Havisham to show up in a picture. Eeks.
view elisabeth mae's profile
I love the use of solar panels and some other elements like the blue walls in the 'library' and faux wood paneling there too, but i agree with some of the other posters that this place makes me think of dust mites. its one thing to use vintage pieces in a clean, modern way, but too much is too much, and i find it a little 'haunted-house'-y.
view Bobbycat5's profile
It looks a little junky to me. And I don't want to see the inside of anyone's T-shirt drawer. This reminds me of an old, musty, dusty used book store.
view jooly's profile
This house is interesting, but not very welcoming. The BBQ is scary and looks dangerous.
view Eve in Hochelaga's profile
Wow, talk about small world. I knew Moses when I used to live in San Fran. Crazy---and crazier to see inside someone's home who you only peripherally knew.
view zaky's profile
Moses, you have a lovely home. I too have faucets that pounce right out of the wall and much to our plumber's dismay, I plan to keep them.
I *love* the bbqs. They're witty, whimsical, and useful -- a perfect trifecta. (How often does that happen?) Does anyone here know the artist?
view paeonia's profile
I'm torn. My own OCD tendencies and love of old things has me accumulating more than I probably should for the size space I live in. On the other hand, I also am drawn to cleaner more artfully arranged spaces and feel that this is a hodge podge of things collected kinda Sherlock Holmes-y, with a wacky BBQ thrown in the mix. And personally, I would impale myself on the BBQ! But I love that HE loves his old stuff!!
view SweetRosieBrown's profile
The BBQs are by Daniel Hopper, a blacksmith/fabricator based in Oakland.
http://danielhopper.com/flytrap5.htm
view slowe's profile