Jesse’s Modern Bachelor Pad

Written by

Kim Lucian
Kim Lucian
A Bay Area based photographer, blogger and all around design junkie I'm obsessed with finding beauty both in the home and on the open road.
updated Feb 20, 2019
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(Image credit: Kim Lucian)

Name: Jesse Leake, Photographer
Location: Lower Pacific Heights; San Francisco, California
Size: 1,100 square feet
Years lived in: 10 years; Rented

The antithesis of the proverbial bachelor pad, photographer Jesse Leake’s well-considered space is evidence that stereotypes are meant to be broken.

(Image credit: Kim Lucian)

A reflection of his globetrotting, artistic endeavors and eye for the offbeat, the space hits all of the right notes. Clean, masculine edges are softened by a great mix of textures, and a palette of neutrals is accented expertly with just the right amount of color.

(Image credit: Kim Lucian)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Vintage, Industrial, Modern with a Southwestern twist.

Inspiration: The beach, mountains, desert, and the 50’s.

Favorite Element: I like how the windows swing open in the sun room and how bright and airy the flat is.

Biggest Challenge: There’s not a lot of closet space, so I had to furnish with quite a few cabinets, chests, and dressers.

What Friends Say: The place has character, charm and is cozy.

Biggest Embarrassment: My sofa hand me down in the sun room. It looks like I’ve had it since college, but I like how comfortable it is.

Proudest DIY: The bedside table was a black school desk. I had it powder coated white and replaced the particle board desktop with a teak wood butcher block.

Biggest Indulgence: The rug in the meeting/living room.

Best Advice: Your home is your sanctuary, so create a space that is comfortable and that you enjoy coming home to.

Dream Sources: The Alameda flea market, Etsy, eBay, garage sales, West Elm.

(Image credit: Kim Lucian)

Resources of Note:

PAINT & COLORS (Kelly Moore & Restoration Hardware)

• Pure White in Meeting Room, Guest Room, half of Kitchen and half of Bath

• Light Grey in Hallway and Bath

• Light Blue in Bedroom

• Light Green in Dining/Sun Room

• Pumice in Office

MEETING/LIVING ROOM

Reclaimed wood coffee table: I sketched it and picked out the old barn wood from, Micah, at Black’s Farm wood in San Rafael. My friend, Jordan Hu, built it.

• Sofa: Furniture Envy

• Old Theater chairs: Alameda Flea Market

• Book Case: Crate and Barrel

• Rug: Crate and Barrel

• Eames Chair: Craigslist

• Cement Coffee Table and Side Table: CB2

• Set of White Leather Chairs: Ikea

• Pillows on Chairs: Large Pillows from West Elm

• Hungarian Cooking Pot: Alameda Flea Market

• Driftwood Lamp: Driftwooddecor.com

• Washing Bin with Succulents: Flea Market

• Succulents: Flora Grub

• Teapot and Tray: Marrakesh, Morocco

• Collage of Wedding Work: Printed by lightwaves. Laid out by my designer friend, Michelle Min.

• Large Print of Fisherman: Shot at Inlay Lake, Myanmar.

• Print of Blue Door: Shot in Chefchaouen, Morocco.

DINING ROOM

• Dining Room Table and Benches: My friend, Alison Hotchkiss, by Roost, co.

• Sheepskin on Benches: Ikea

• Set of Wooden Chairs: Flea Market

• Surveyor Tripod Lamp: Alameda Flea Market.

• Green Sofa: My friend, Griffin.

• Pillow on Sofa: Turkey

• Snowboard Table: Custom Burton Board. Legs from Tablelegs.com.

• Surveyor Tripod Lamp: Base from Alameda Flea Market, Shade from West Elm.

• Black Lamp: Base from Crate and Barrel, Shade from Lamps Plus.

• Runner on Table: Gift from a friend.

• Reclaimed Wood Side Table: Roost, co.

• B&W Print of Girl: Shot in Bolivia

• B&W Print of Surfer: Shot at Cronkite Beach

GUEST ROOM/ TV ROOM

• Sofa: Furniture Envy. Shirley and her husband, Brian, were awesome to work with.

• Coffee Table: Room and Board

• Leaning Bookshelf: Room and Board

• Antler Lamp: West Elm

• Black Lamp: West Elm

• Recycled Denim Rug: West Elm

• Vases on Coffee Table: Heath Ceramics

• Cow Skull: Todos Santos, Mexico

• Skateboard: My friend, Mark Rinderknecht.

• Native American B&W Prints: eBay, Bamboo frames: Cheap Pete’s

• Acoma Pottery: eBay

• Wooden Camels, Morocco

• Air Plants: Flora Grub

• Fishing Weight Book Ends: Restoration Hardware

• Vintage Media Cabinet: Alameda Flea Market

• Wood Side Table: Alameda Flea Market

• Gold Side Table: West Elm

• Print on Leaning Shelves: Shot in Sahara Desert, Morocco

• 1971 Print: Scott Hansen

• Woodcut Print of Bull Herd: Inherited from grandmother, Dorothy Hughes.

• Faux fur throw on sofa: Restoration Hardware

• Navajo pillows on sofa: Etsy

• Other pillows on sofa: West Elm

KITCHEN

• Vintage Cooler: Brian at Alameda Flea Market

• Vintage Dr. Pepper Sign: eBay

• Vintage Pepsi Sign: eBay

• Vintage Colanders and Graters: eBay and Etsy

• Island and Stools: Ikea

• Overhead Industrial Light: Lamps Plus

• Bowls: Heath Ceramics

• Vintage Toledo Scale: Alameda Flea Market

• Vintage Porcelain Pitchers: Alameda Flea Market/Etsy

BEDROOM

• Reclaimed Wood Bed: West Elm

• Dressers: Ikea

• Locker: Ikea

• Lanterns: Roost, co.

• Buddha: Kathmandu, Nepal

• Vintage Juggling Pins: Flea market/Etsy/eBay

• Bed Side Lamp: West Elm

• Small Nightstand: (Was used for chicken feed.) Alameda Flea Market

• Desk Nightstand: Base, School Supply Outlet (Powder coated at west coast powder coating.) Butcher Block Top, Discount Kitchen Supply

• Calder Poster: Inherited from grandmother, Dorothy Hughes.

• Painting of Girl Washing Hair: Hoi Ann, Vietnam

• Bicycle Planter: MDC Interiors on Etsy

• “Girl with a Pearl Earring” poster: from a Vemeer book: framed at Cheap Pete’s. My grandmother always had that painting in her house and it reminds me of her.

• Deer Head – Deerheadden.com

• Grey Bowl on Dresser: Heath Ceramics

• Union Jack School Chairs: Alameda Flea Market

• Bedding: Pottery Barn

OFFICE

• Rug: Crate and Barrel

• Desk: Ikea

• Metal Cabinets: Flax

• White Shelves: Ikea

• Chair: Passion Décor

• Chalk Board: Pottery Barn

• Buddha: Yogaworks

• Polaroid Camera: Flea Market

• Red Leica Camera: Etsy

• Lamp: Ikea

• Magnet Boards: Ikea

• B&W Canvas Print of Surfer: Taken of my friend, Max Sarrazin, at Ocean Beach.

• Organized by my cousin, Erica Hunt

(Image credit: Kim Lucian)

Thanks, Jesse!

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