A multi-unit home in San Francisco was redesigned to accommodate a growing family and updated circulation needs and an eclectic collection of art and music. Working with both existing and found elements on a backdrop of custom furniture and tile work, each bedroom and bathroom magnified their creative personalities. On the main floor, the updated entry with a unique glass stair rail opens to a vast entertaining environment with a double-sided fireplace feature and brightly colored kitchen at it’s center. Custom tile layouts and integrated display areas recall the families interest in textile art and colorful collections of fiesta pottery and local artists, working together to lift the spirit on grey bay area beach days.

Architect: Simon Kwan

Project Partner: Landed Interiors

Photographer: Aubrie Pick

Publication: California Home and Design

Collaborators: Fireclay Tile, Osborne & Little, Schoolhouse Electric, Parachute Home, KaiMade Woodworking, Michael Mellon and Ben Winslow, Chambers Art & Design

Single family historic home on San Francisco’s Bernal Hill currently under construction with completion date in the Spring of 2025. Whole house remodel in collaboration with the client’s artistic and historic vision to breathe authentic Victorian details and quality craftsmanship into a home that once stood alone as one of the first homes on the hill prior to the 1906 earthquake. The property boasts a deep lot size for the area which includes a 300 year old redwood tree and views of the bay from upper floors which will be captured with oversized sliding door systems and a new open plan at the back.

Architect: Selander Architects

Contractor: Norwood Construction

Family and Child Empowerment Services (FACES) school and administrative offices got the upgrade they have been asking for. Located in key areas in San Francisco with the mission to provide care for all including after school programs, they are a dedicated, caring and fun group of teachers and community leaders. With a cohesive design across all sites following in-depth interviews and assessments, the teaching staff break areas and offices for the executive team take on a calm and productive feel for the much needed break in their active days.

Photographer: Jean Bai (Konstrukt Photo)

Collaborators: Room & Board, Blu Dot, Flooring Solutions Inc., Bay City Plumbing, HF Custom Cabinetry, Chambers Art & Design

Welcome to the fantastic world of Appetite Engineers, a design studio in San Francisco lead by renown designer Martin Venezky. The design for this workplace was ripe with inspiration drawn from Martin’s playful work, each detail a special opportunity to reflect, amplify or capture his art and vision.

Collaborators: Pseudo Studio, Joe Chambers Design, Martin Venezky

A 1970’s cabin in the Sierra Foothills currently under renovation. Due for completion Summer 2025 this 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath cabin rests on gently sloping acreage among an old growth oaks and cedar forest. Not far from the property is a significant MiWok chaw’se or limestone grinding rock along the creek used for grinding acorns into what was a food staple for local tribes. Integrated decking, landscaping features and an exterior overhaul will make this a stand-out home in the area while quieter moments pay respect to the first peoples of the area and a slower way of life.

Located in the heart of San Francisco's Castro neighborhood, the Healing Arts Building housed multiple practices including Reiki, Accupuncture, Somatic Healing and Upper Cervical Chiroprators within a historical Victorian home.  Reception and circulation areas are tied together with a focus on soundproofing and Feng Shui principles to help create a warm and welcoming environment for patients and staff.  Custom furniture was built using sustainable materials by local fabricators.

Furniture: Pseudo Studio

Metalwork: Chambers Art + Design

Brand Identity + Signage: Ed Ng

Tied to a section of an old corral once active with cattle and ranchers, colored plexiglas now brings contemplative life to dead grasses and big sky.  Inspiration of such light effects came from the stained glass window reflections that dance on the floor of Marjorie and Dick's 'Early Church' space, a ritual and gathering of good friends unique to this place in America.  In the early morning when the sun rises in the east, colors are projected onto the hard earth of this Oklahoma Ranch: as routine as the sun and where Early Church isn't just on Sundays, it's a way of life.

First Image:  "This was Sunday morning at sunup, and the work that Andrea donated to all the cows in Oklahoma was beautiful so I thought I would share.  It is called 'The Quilt'. Dick"

Status:  Completed May 2013

Location:  Tyrone, OK

Credits:  Dick (Materials Expert + Workshop)

Taste is a complete branding and Interior Design project for an urban Chinese tea café and shop in San Francisco's Hayes Valley.  The objective was to introduce the traditions of Chinese tea and lifestyle into this urban fast-paced recreation hub by way of subtle sensory design elements and Feng Shui. 

Design elements such as circulation, sound mitigation, lighting and material, product display and packaging design, weave together to create an experience of calm and relaxation.  For the tea novice it is a place to slow down and explore, while for the enthusiast it is an oasis.

Design with the environment as a priority:  Salvaged floorboards and woodworking scraps repurposed as wall coverings and screens, factory surplus hemp fiber upholstery chosen for seating areas, and custom designed multi-use modular furniture box systems all serve to contribute to a sustainable, chic style. The fabricators and artisans who helped realize this project all work and live in San Francisco.

Business: Taste Tea, LLC

Publication: The Bold Italic

Collaborators: EdNg (Branding + Identity), Pseudo Studio (Wood), Chambers Art + Design (Metal), Sewn Sonoma (upholstery) Daniel Garcia (Tea Bar)