45th Avenue was constructed in 1905, when the Sunset District was still a smattering of small beach cottages. The original structure was a simple four-square with a shingled hipped roof and a front porch. Over time it was buried in stucco and additions dragged down the rear.
The remodel excavated a few feet, inserting a second unit under the original house, and allowed for 3 full floors at the rear. A custom steel and ply staircase travels from garage level workroom up to the master suite. Framing clues and finding original porch windows reused in the basement led to the restored façade. Two large crevasse-like skylights bring light deep into the house, keeping it aglow even on the foggiest of days.
Originally a laundry boiler room, the brick house is now a full service guest apartment. The ground floor is 8′-2″ x 11′-6″; approximately 93sf. It hosts a full kitchen, living room with couch and coffee table or dining table, and fold out cushions for a lounge chair on the stair landing. Up the ships’ ladder is a mezzanine dressing area with built-in walnut wardrobe and drawers. a 42″ square bath has a wall mount toilet, custom stainless steel medicine cabinet, small sink supplied by a shower valve, and floor drain for showering. a sandblasted door and window keep it light and spacious. A tread and a glass landing lead to the bed loft with queen mattress, storage in hinged headboards, bookshelves, and reading lamps.
Ground floor remodel of a 1920’s marina style house in the mission. Minor excavation turned a warren of rooms behind the garage into versatile live-work space. Entry, laundry, and guest bedroom are consolidated by the existing stairs, leaving a generous media room and office open to the back yard. A system of simply finished 2×4’s perform multiple duties as steps, benches, and counters.
Total reworking of a post earthquake rooming house in Chinatown. The compact envelope is reinvented by the insertion of a central light well, connecting the basement garden to 3 floors of living area and a roof deck. New white walls and glass complement exposed brick, original staircases, and patched fir floors.
Conversion of a 1908 carriage house into an apartment, with the former hayloft becoming a 380 sq ft living space. The simple, yet dynamic interior roofline is highlighted by wood siding painted bright white. Services tucked under a dormer include an etched glass shower enclosure, recycled bead board toilet cabinet, and a compact kitchen. Storage and art studio are behind barn doors below.
