When a young San Francisco couple was looking to refresh their Nob Hill residence six years ago, a dinner party encounter led to them becoming Studio AHEAD’s first client. Not long after the completion of the project, with their family growing, the husband and wife decamped to the leafy suburb of Hillsborough and, in her words, “were more than ready to continue the fun.” Thus, the art and design collective’s founders, Elena Dendiberia and Homan Rajai, were enlisted once again.
This time around — through a masterful mix of vintage, custom and commissioned objects — Studio AHEAD conjured 6,000 square feet of singularity, teeming with personal significance. The husband’s experience on the water is expressed in the breakfast nook’s handmade table by Elin Aschberg and Esmeralda Vidfar of Vava Objects, composed of fiberglass sourced from an Italian fabricator that uses the material for yachts. In the study, a Studio AHEAD-designed maple desk, evoking Donald Judd’s minimalism, coexists with a 1950s MAA chair by George Nelson for Herman Miller.
According to Rajai, the client’s budget was essentially split between the purchase of the house and the ensuing renovations. “We wanted a family home that felt both welcoming and elevated — a cozy, earthy, California version of mid-century modern,” the wife recalls. Studio AHEAD connected the client to Marmol Radziner, which has “a unique approach of architecture, landscape and construction,” says Jason Davis, its San Francisco studio director. “Because we ended up doing all of those services, our interactions with Homan and Elena were very collaborative."
Davis and his team handled the interior and exterior architecture — including finishes such as tiles, stones and plumbing fixtures — while Studio AHEAD was responsible for the wallcoverings, drapery and loose furnishings, often layering in contrasting elements. “We created a lot of these rounded moments that soften the rectilinear quality of the house,” Rajai says, pointing to the custom rugs. Expanses of drapery have a cocooning effect, especially in rooms with the fabric covering the walls as well.
For Marmol Radziner, there were three main focuses: a central area with the kitchen, which flows into the family and dining rooms; the primary suite, where the bedroom, bathroom and closets were redeveloped; and a mudroom and hallway, part of the newly added square footage. Along with splendid views — encompassing the San Francisco Bay, pool with a hillside backdrop and canopy of oak trees — the property is characterized by its mid-century lineage. Marmol Radziner’s fluency with that era is well-documented; take the restoration of Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. When Davis joined the firm in 2003, his first project was the Garcia House in Los Angeles, designed by John Lautner.
The Hillsborough dwelling retained its rooflines, and the placement of the openings largely stayed the same (though windows and doors were replaced). “The overall envelope is still very similar, just with new finishes,” Davis observes. “You’re sensitive and harkening back to the original design but doing so with modern materials and modern construction methods.” Case in point: The vertically oriented shiplap exterior siding gave way to Western red cedar with comparable grooved detailing. The wood was stained a creamy hue to integrate with the freshly painted existing brick chimney.
Meanwhile, on the back side of the abode, ipe decks now “extend the indoor living spaces outward, strengthening the physical and visual relationship between the house and the garden,” explains Aista Sobouti, a senior project manager in Marmol Radziner’s landscape arm. To address the client’s desires for more functional and family-friendly grounds, the pool deck includes an outdoor living area — ideal for relaxing or entertaining— and, near the lawn, a flagstone patio serves as an informal seating venue, “perfect for watching the children while they play,” Sobouti says.
Marmol Radziner and Studio AHEAD were united in their restrained material palette. White oak permeates the interior, comprising the floors and cabinetry. Rajai and Dendiberia designed light fixtures and furniture that took advantage of stone remnants. Steps from the front door, a chair fabricated by Rossi Antiques combines Ceppo di Gre limestone left over from the powder room with walnut. Inside and out, wall sconces made by Phoenix Day incorporate Madre Perola quartzite, which Marmol Radziner selected for the exterior stairs and entry landing.
In the entryway, Studio AHEAD has has showcased artists and artisans with Bay Area ties. A giclée print by Fujio Emura, who studied at Academy of Art University, is on one wall alongside a ceramic sculpture and wood pedestal by San Francisco-based multidisciplinary artist Jesse Schlesinger. Studio visits, with clients in tow, are not uncommon; for this project, a field trip was taken to C. Mariani Antiques, Restoration & Custom, which built the primary suite’s oak bed-slash-desk, upholstered by Jim Thompson.
Rajai describes the design duo’s process as “exploratory” — a tack that clearly resonates with their repeat client. “It has been such a treat to see art through Homan’s and Elena’s eyes,” she says. “We have been introduced to so many inspiring artists and perspectives throughout our time working with Studio AHEAD."
