Brad & Julie’s Sunny Modern Victorian

Name: Brad, Julie and Rye Olcott
Location: Dolores Heights, San Francisco, California
Size: 2,500 sq feet (not including 1st floor studio)
Years lived in: 3 years; owned

Your home says a lot about you, and the home that Brad and Julie have created speaks volumes about their artistic sensibilities and love of clean and bright spaces. Their sunny Victorian home, situated in Dolores Heights, San Francisco, is warm, modern, welcoming, and filled with art, as befits the home of an artist whose work can be seen all over the city and will soon be featured in the new San Francisco Transbay Center. 

Julie is an artist who is currently working on a 20,000 square foot terrazzo floor for the Grand Hall in the new Transbay Center, which will be completed in 2015. When this project is completed, it will be the largest fine art application of that material in history. Brad, Director of User Experience at SurveyMonkey, also has a great visual sense, and together the two of them have created a home that reflects the people that live there and their thoughtful design aesthetic. 

Brad and Julie were living in SOMA when they decided to relocate to leafy Dolores Park. After searching for 6 months they found the home of their dreams, a Victorian renovated by architect Anne Fougeron. On their reasons for the move, Brad said: 

“We chose to live in Dolores Heights after living in the SOMA district because it’s a leafy, quiet neighborhood with great weather, and walking distance to three of the most charming, vibrant and trendy areas of the city: Noe Valley, The Castro and The Mission. Additionally, this neighborhood is great for raising our son because there are many young families here and it’s very close to Dolores Park, arguably the best park and playground in the city.” 

Brad, Julie, and their 3 year old son Rye love their home and neighborhood, and after staying with the family for a few days thanks to an Airbnb rental, it was easy to see why. I quickly fell for it as well, and upon returning home started my own Dolores Heights home search. 

During my stay, Julie’s studio was located on the top floor next to Rye’s room while work was being done on the ground floor. The renovation of the ground floor will be completed in May, and this will be where Julie’s new studio space will be located. The couple is expecting a new arrival in September, which makes having the additional bedroom space ideal. I can hardly wait to see how the bedroom and studio will look and hope that Brad and Julie will send along photos for a tour update including the nursery and studio space. 

My Style: Simple with curated moments. 

Inspiration: We are inspired by objects that are both functional and beautiful, that tell a story through their materiality, where they came from or the artists who made them.

Favorite Element: The glass walls. 

Biggest Challenge: Keeping the balance; between old and new, being clean and organized yet still warm and inviting.

What Friends Say: They love the amount of natural light and how everything is organized and has its place.

Biggest Embarrassment: We can go overboard being organized and tend towards OCD.  If we are not careful, the house can feel too controlled and staged.

Proudest DIY: Our Dining Room Table — we sourced the wood from Indonesia and had it cut to our design. The steel frame was created by our friend Matt Jones, who is a Los Angeles based artist.

Biggest Indulgence: The hand blown glass dining room chandelier from Lindsey Adelman Studios.

Best Advice: Be patient and buy for the long term.  Reduce clutter by purging unused or damaged items on a regular basis.  Don’t be afraid to invest in beautiful classic pieces, storage bins and containers.  Whenever possible buy second hand and choose natural or industrial materials.  It’s good for the environment, and what you have will be timeless and will continue to look good even after a lifetime of wear and tear.

Dream Sources: “Simple Home” by Mark & Sally Bailey, Big Daddy’s Antiques, Barn Light Electric, Monument, Pinterest

• Pendant Light: Alameda Flea Market
• 17c French Zinc Mirror: The Marston House
• Emmanuella Fattini and Carl Magnusson Ivy Umbrella Stand
• Vintage Milk Crate: Alameda Flea Market

• Petrie Sofa and Armchairs: Crate & Barrel
• Grete Jalk Danish Modern Coffee Table: Alameda Flea Market
• George Neslson Bubble Lamps: DWR
• DWR Photon Rug: Craigslist
• Saarinen Side Table: Craigslist
• Vintage French Pharmacy Postcard Carousel
• “Texas” triptych by Lordy Rodriguez

• Dining Table and Benches: Wood sourced from Indonesia via Asiantique in Oakland, Steel Frame made by Matt Jones
• Chandelier: Lindsey Adelman Studios
• Mini-Buffet: Inherited from friend and repainted using Benjamin Moore Iron Clad Deep Bronze 
• Small Card Carousel: Alameda Flea Market
• Large Wire Storage Basket: Big Daddy Antiques

• Tolix Stools: DWR
• “Untitled” by Reed Danziger
• Wood Serving Bowls and Boards: collected from various trips

• Tripod Lamp: Tripod Sourced from Alameda Flea Market, wired by Dog Fork Lamps
• Vintage Jielde Lamps: Ebay
• Vintage Suzani – Istanbul
• Military Storage Side tables: Alameda Flea Market
• Tate Bed: Crate & Barrell
• Round Felt Rug: Peace Industries

• Railroad Crossing Sign: Alameda Flea Market
• Railroad table: DIY Project using a coffee table found at the Alameda Flea Market
• Teepee: Land of Nod
• Ikat Curtains: Etsy

• Vintage Metal Cabinet: SS21

Thanks, Brad & Julie!

(Images: Joelle Alcaidinho)

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