This single-family Edwardian home was built in 1905 and located in San Francisco’s covetable lake district. Heather K. Berstein of HKB Interior Design was brought on to help the homeowners—a young, hip couple with a puppy and new baby—create a unique, colorful space while still honoring the original style of the home. “The style of this home is clean lines with a warm, modern feel while keeping with the traditional Edwardian feel of the outside,” she says. “They loved the cool contrast of the more contemporary interior with the more traditional exterior, and wanted their home to feel fresh, cool, and collected.”

To highlight the architecture, they painted the trim darker than the walls (Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore). “We love how making the trim stand out helped remind you of the old Edwardian feel while still feeling contemporary and bold,” Heather explains. In the kitchen, however, it’s all modern. They didn’t want an all-white kitchen, and fell in love with Benjamin Moore’s Millstone Gray for the cabinets. “It’s a beautiful green tone that contrasted the dark walnut cutouts. We instantly fell in love with their Calacutta slabs and had to highlight them with a waterfall on the island.” The walnut is a clear tie-in to the dining room, which is a dark, sexy space. 

“We really tried to get the flow right from the kitchen to the dining room to the living room,” the designer shares. “The living room was a long, skinny space so incorporating all that the client wanted was a challenge (living space, record storage, bar, lounge). The built-ins, as well as a built-in sofa, gave us the space we needed for flow to the dining room from the living room.” The details in this room are especially noteworthy—for example, the record storage makes flipping through albums an easy task, and there’s plenty of storage for their specialty liquor.

In the primary bedroom, a custom, full-wall headboard was a detail that helped to make the petite space feel larger. “The custom walnut dresser by Michael Finizio was a nod to the living room walnut built-ins, and we have to give a shout out to Marta Johansen (@martaelisejohansen) for her beautiful line drawing that makes the space!”

The project took about 17 months in total, with actual construction totaling about a year. “The client was so excited about their space and is thankful that it is a true reflection of them and all they love,” Heather smiles. “A space to entertain, raise a family, listen to music, and make a cocktail!”