My friend Emily's home in San Francisco is brimming with color and beauty-- a true reflection of her.
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| Emily is so kind to invite us inside! |
Emily was an art major in college so her home is filled with beautiful paintings and photographs. Some are her own creations, a few are her brothers, and the rest are either family heirlooms or pieces from local artists she favors.
The two paintings in her kitchen, seen above, are ones she created while taking a painting workshop in Italy. These are especially meaningful to Emily because while she was painting those, her now husband Bruce surprised her with a proposal!
Besides painting, Emily has dabbled in glass blowing and currently, much of artistic expressions show through in her home decor, home cooking, and entertaining. It's no surprise that my artist friends like Emily have the most gorgeous homes!
After studying art in college, Emily went to culinary school. She was a chef at restaurants like Zuni and Slow Club, became a pastry chef at Cafe Rouge, and for a while was a private chef for the Shorenstein family in San Francisco. Emily is always whipping up culinary delights for friends so her home smells as good as it looks, especially during Christmas!
When you walk into Emily's home you are greeted with a soothing wall color, pops of color from original paintings and photographs, and her cheerful smile. You also notice Emily's signature style-- mixing the old and the new.
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| The photographs are by Emily's brother, John Dolan, out of LA. |
I love how Emily blends antiques with modern elements. The wall color in the hallway under the chair molding is Benjamin Moore's "Coventry Gray" HC-169 and looks so fresh with the crisp white trim. The color above it is "Stonington Gray" HC-170.
Here her living room is such a happy place to be. That amazing wall color is Benjamin Moore's "Gentleman's Gray" 2062-20. It's so fresh against the crisp white fireplace and bookcases. This wall color is just so pretty and pleasing to the eye. It's also great because I don't see it often in magazines or blogs. Don't you love the way it looks with sea glass on the mantle?
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| The carpet is a custom area rug from Abbey Carpet. Emily kept it simple so the chair fabric and silk drapes could take center stage. |
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| What a beautiful vignette! The mirror above the fireplace is one of Emily's favorite finds. It's comprised of dozens of tiny mirror circles. She scored this piece from Zinc Details on Fillmore Street in San Francisco |
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| The cozy sofa is full of pillows Emily has collected over the years in numerous San Francisco boutiques. |
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| The antique side table, lamp, and the painting above it were passed down from Emily's grandmother. The owl is so cute when he's all lit up. |
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| The blue chairs with the floral pattern are from her Dad's house in Georgia. She loves them just the way they are and selected her fabulous new wall color to tie them into her inspiring living room. |
Seen below, the dining room is adjacent to the living room and my favorite piece in this space is the artwork you see behind the table. Emily's mom used to call this large scale painting on hinged pieces of wood "the girls." This piece is so unique and the large scale works in this space.
The Dining room purple color is variation of Benjamin Moore's "Dark Purple" 2073-10.
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| "The Girls" Up Close |
Emily's dining table was passed down from her Mom's side of the family while their china cabinet was Bruce's aunt's. The area rug in the dining room was a prized find at an estate sale, thanks to a friend who specializes in antiques. The modern ceiling light fixture is something Emily had her eye on for quite some time at one of her favorite stores-- Fleurt. As soon as it went on sale, Emily snatched it. Her sister in St. Paul has one just like it. Good taste runs in the family.
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The painting in the hallway leading to the lower level is by Sabine Bruntjen, a Marin artist. The 1960s vintage painting of a girl was passed on to Emily from her mom. |
Let's take a look upstairs.
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| This opening above the mirror brings light and a sense of openness to the master bathroom |
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| View of upstairs foyer looking into kid's bathroom |
The master bedroom has beautiful bedding from India Rose, a friend of Emily's.
The dresser turned bath vanity is one of my favorite features of her home. The textures and colors of this piece are so warm and interesting. This was the inspiration for my master bath, but unfortunately I ran out of time. I couldn't find a similar look for the size I needed so I had something made. It's not nearly as nice as this vintage piece-- no comparison.
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| Isn't the surface just heavenly? I love all the imperfections, especially the dimples, and variations in the wood color. |
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| The shower and toilet are in a separate room |
Let's take a peak inside Emily's daughter Grace's bedroom.
Grace has several sweet pieces of original art sprinkled throughout her adorable bedroom. Her brass bed is a hand-me-down from Emily's step mom who slept on it when she was a girl.
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| Another hand-me-down. Perfect exactly the way it is. Don't you love that when things work as-is? |
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| The kid's bath is cheerful without being, well... childish. |
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| Emily finds a place for the perfect retro art. I love the green color in this bathroom. It has a nice punch of yellow in it. |
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| This is where Emily makes amazing dishes for her family and friends! |
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| Those lovely, French hand towels make the powder room so sweet. |
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Thanks for the fabulous tour, Emily, and sharing all your decorating tips with us! I love your home! |
