An empty box of a house, a few great art pieces, a sound system, and a few guitars is all a very hip divorced father of 5 kids started out with when he approached designer Benni of Benni Amadi Interiors. He saw her work at the San Francisco Designer Showcase in 2017, and knew she would be the right fit to design his new home.

Located on a desirable block in NOPA (a neighborhood that’s right in the heart of San Francisco), the property was extensively renovated with the highest level of finishes while maintaining the stunning Victorian facade. Benni took much of her inspiration from the Victorian-era home itself, but brought in elements of hip California design and masculine details.

Along with furnishing the space, there were functional needs that had to be met — many of the pieces were chosen for their family-friendly finishes and sense of comfort. Fortunately, Benni’s client was quite open-minded about color palette, so she was able to get super creative with a few edgier choices.

When you first enter the home, you find a large open space that encompasses the living room, dining room and kitchen. “The piece of furniture that the family loves and ends up using the most here is a leather swinging chair from Ladies and Gentlemen studio in a bay window,” the designer shares. There’s a corridor off of this room that leads to living spaces, including a guest bathroom with fun wallpaper by Abnormal Anonymous. In the primary bed and bathroom, the client wanted it to be hip and serene all at once. “We tried to achieve this by hiring Caroline Lizarraga to paint the walls in an ombre shades of grey and blue and add lots of large drip brass coming down from the top of the wall behind the bed,” Benni tells us. It’s a memorable moment, and also a fantastic oasis for the busy dad to call his own.

Upstairs, there’s is a large family room that also serves as a music room, with dark paint and green velvet sofas — an opulent ’70s-style hangout. “Both the client and his kids play different instruments and this space was designed to welcome jam sessions and movie watching,” Benni says. “When shelter in place happened, we were able to carve out a little office area in the family room as well to accommodate working from home.”

The project took roughly two years, and the end result is beautiful, comfortable, and fun. Ultimately, Benni was able to create a home where one can truly be themselves and let their personalities shine through.