“The building, Crescent, is San Francisco’s newly opened boutique residential development in the historic Nob Hill neighborhood,” Guillaume Coutheillas, founder of frenchCALIFORNIA, tells us. “We designed the penthouse as a chic Parisian apartment that will appeal to art and design enthusiasts, collectors, and connoisseurs in the area who also have a love of and an inclination toward the California design aesthetic. Set within the historical neighborhood of Nob Hill, with such a rich architectural DNA, Crescent truly embodies the spirit of our design aesthetic at frenchCALIFORNIA, combining high European design with a relaxed, West Coast sensibility.”
Located on the main floor of the newly-opened building, The Penthouse, or The Robert Residence, is 1,430 square feet with 2-bedrooms and 2-baths. “We aimed to effortlessly combine European chic with a coastal influence as seen through soft fabrics, muted colors, and textured wallcoverings,” Guillaume says. Walking into the residence, guests are greeted by a classic San Francisco foyer, elongated and adorned with geometric mirrors and rare statement art. In this space, touches of playful, graphic colors in the entrance set the tone for the rest of the home. The warm and inviting living room is anchored by a neutral curved sofa accented by hand-painted glass coffee tables, lavish armchairs and beautifully appointed textiles and rugs to help guide the flow of the space.
To maximize every corner of the home, the living room features an intimate bistro table ideal for morning coffee, and the dining room’s plush banquette serves dual functionality as a space for entertaining and a chic work-from-home nook. Vintage French and Italian pieces are on display throughout the home, combined with the residence’s collection of contemporary art. The kitchen is built with custom cabinetry designed by Champalimaud, and honed Mediterraneo marble countertops. Backsplashes frame the integrated suite of appliances from Sub-Zero and Wolf, and Dornbracht polished chrome faucets.
The project took about six months. “We started by coming up with the design concept for the developer, and once that was finalized, we curated a collection of furniture from our favorite design partners and makers such as Christophe DelCourt, B&B Italia and CC-Tapis, and contemporary art curated by Creative Art Partners,” Guillaume shares. “The biggest challenge was to create a space that pays homage to the brilliant architecture of the building by Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA). We wanted to come up with something that complements the architecture and does it justice. Through the entire design process, we tried to make decisions that we thought RAMSA would be impressed by, and that we’d be proud to show off to Robert Stern himself!”
Take a tour in the slideshow.