San Francisco’s dense skyline continues to grow as the city anticipates the completion of some towers long under construction and the emerging profile of others underway. These tall towers aren’t always popular—many residents actively fight against buildings sprouting up in the city, worried that they’ll cause shadows, an over-saturation of luxury housing, or a wake-up call…

How do they do this? De-clutter: closets, cabinets and storage spaces. Depersonalize: allow potential buyers to envision themselves in your house. Remove excess furniture, art and knickknacks. Save you money through light staging. Get the property on the market quickly, while packing you to move. Make it fun, effortless and easy. “Changing-Places is a very reliable source during any move, purge,…

Robert Reffkin, Compass founder & CEO, talks about the launch of new technology that allows real estate agents to work with their customers to give them a real-time portfolio of listings in a customized feed. http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000597781&play=1

THE VILLA: • Air-conditioned • Floor heated • 5 double bedrooms with en suite bathrooms • Terrace • Swimming pool • Large garden • Sea view ​The Villa is avilable for rental for €5,800 per week in low season and for €6,500 per week in high season (July, August, September) SERVICES: Full service is available for your rental at request, e.g. • Private…

Frank Lloyd Wright endures as one of the world’s most celebrated artist-architects, recognized by the American Institute of Architects as “the greatest American architect of all time,” and his work so revered that many of his structures throughout California—and across the country, for that matter—have been turned into museums. You can pay a small fee and tour Hollyhock…

by Pilar Viladas March 21, 2016 1stdibs.com The work of Alan Tanksley defies easy labeling. His interiors incorporate traditional and modernist vocabularies with equal flair, and always with a result that combines elegance and comfort. “I don’t do what I call stage sets,” says Tanksley, whose boldface clients include Anderson Cooper, Alan Cumming, Garry Trudeau and Jane Pauley, collectors…

No matter how lovely the ground beneath your feet, “you don’t exactly go down and touch the flooring,” says Thomas Lykke of Danish design studio OeO. Yet, he points out, when the same material that lines the floors in luxuriously long planks also rises up to wrap the walls in slim cladding or hangs from the ceiling in a wave of sticks, it creates a “coherent universe, and people…

If beer bucket specials and packed dance floors aren’t your speed, San Francisco offers a number of ways to ring in the New Year with sophistication. Check out these events, activities and venues if you’re looking to welcome the New Year in style. Party like a celebrity at the Fairmont San Francisco and other luxurious hotels in the city. SAN FRANCISCO HOLIDAY GUIDE 2015/16 Hyatt Regency…

A turn-of-the-century Presidio Heights home is reimagined as a contemporary showplace with East/West influences. Gentry Home September/October 2015. A fascinating combination of drama and calm coalesce in this unique Presidio Heights residence. The project is the brainchild of Riaz Taplin who managed every step of the process. “My clients are Japanese, but have called San Francisco home for nearly…

The San Francisco-based Nicole Hollis embraces indoor-outdoor California living, cutting-edge contemporary design and minimalist yet liveable elegance whether designing a city apartment or Napa Valley winery, a palatial Hawaiian spread or a hip Seattle hotel. As a child growing up in the then-small town of Jupiter, Florida, designer Nicole Hollis had to search for creative inspiration beyond the berry…

- Hyatt Regency, November 21st They will illuminate their exterior from 6pm to 7pm then tree lighting ceremony from 7pm to 7:30pm. - PIER 39, November 22 & 23, (great fun for the kids!) This two-day celebration starts at noon each day with a meet and greet with friends from the Disneyland® Resort. This all day event ends with the tree lighting ceremony at 6pm. - Macy's Union Square, November…

Sleek statement lighting in your classic space? Sharp contrast in texture and color in your kitchen or bath? Nobody does it better than the Italians, but this is a style trending not only in Europe, but in California too. While touring the city and Milan’s Salone, I found recurring design trends throughout showrooms, displays, and kitchen and bath collections that reminded me of home and the…

Since opening its doors in 1930, the British Ambassador’s Residence has been considered the premier diplomatic address in Washington. A neoclassical English country house with influences from American Colonial  architecture, the Residence was built when the great British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens was at the very peak of his powers. His only building in the United States, its majestic interiors,…

Since 1990 Architectural Digest has been naming the world’s preeminent architects and designers to a select group known as the AD100. An arbiter of excellence, this exclusive list recognizes establishment icons and enterprising trailblazers whose work is as inspiring as it is influential. These are the men and women who are shaping the way we live—one building, one house, one room at a…

1. Where do you currently live in CA and what's special about how you've designed your personal space? I live in the Buena Vista Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, which is up the hill from the Castro heading north toward Buena Vista Park. The great thing about this neighborhood is that the park acts as a shield from the fog so it seems to bypass our street. My partner and I don't have…

We've been spending some time over at archdaily.com and we love their round up of 13 top notch architecture photographers.  Names range from seasoned pro Iwan Baan to new comer Fran Parente. Their ability to capture the lines and essence of a structure is thoroughly a treat for the eyes. We hope you enjoy looking through these photographers web sites at much as we did. http://www.archdaily.com/417291/world-photo-day-the-13-architecture-photographers-to-follow-now/

In 1994, the Capp Street Project, an artist-in-residence program started by Ann Hatch, was located on 2nd Street between Brannan and Bryant Streets, and Todd Hosfelt had opened his first gallery in the upstairs space on the same corner. Both were cutting-edge emporiums for smart and exciting new artists that were changing the art map of that moment and whose impact ultimately left an indelible mark…

Located on Scenic Way at 26th Ave, No. 45 is one of a trio of distinctive residences (including Nos. 9 and 25) by architect Willis Polk (1867-1924) who designed the homes in the Neo-classical style with French country manor influences. His exceptional creations, both small and large, range from the intimate townhouses on Russian Hill Place to the spectacular Filoli estate and gardens in Woodside! The…

Carol Ziogas of 57 Degrees a Northern California Lifestyle magazine sat down with Malin to find out a little bit about her past and what went into the making of a Top Real Estate Agent, Business Woman, and Entrepreneur. With a stunning view from her villa’s rooftop garden of the Golden Gate Bridge and overlooking the San Francisco neighborhood she has come to know so well, Malin Giddings is grand…

For those looking to be served a delicious meal OUT on Christmas Day these top San Francisco restaurants are open for business! TRACE - Located inside the W Hotel, serves up sustainable locally sourced food. A bit of trivia, TRACE has its own rooftop bee hives, which produced over 200 pounds of honey in the first harvest! Trace offers a fabulous 4-Course tasting menu for $75 per person, prepared by…

Technically sophisticated, beautifully crafted floating houses are elevating the experience of living on the water. The notion of living by the water is, for many, irresistible. But over the past few years there has been a growing fascination with the idea of living on it, too. The design of a new breed of floating homes is sophisticated and photogenic, overthrowing the image of the traditional houseboat…

SFProperties’ Max Armour attended the 2012 Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute Gala on Nov. 14 at The Bently Reserve in San Francisco. Actress Susan Sarandon emceed the fundraiser honoring William McDonough, co-founder of the institute. Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep introduced her longtime friend McDonough to the 450 in attendance, noting that former Vice President Al Gore called…

After buying their Palo Alto, California, house in 2006, Alon Cohen and Adi Tatarko struggled to find the right people to renovate it. “We didn’t know how to express what we wanted,” Tatarko says. “The process was very unpleasant.” Unpleasant, perhaps, but not unproductive. Realizing that others could benefit from online visual tools to help communicate their aesthetic…

Two real estate reports out Tuesday paint a picture of a Bay Area market in turnaround mode against a backdrop of uneven recovery nationwide. Real estate service Zillow showed that Bay Area home values rebounded by 8.2 percent in the third quarter compared with the same time last year - but are still down 29.5 percent from their peak in 2006. Meanwhile, listings site Realtor.com looked at price changes…

A 14,651-square-foot home, according to the owner, with seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and two half-bathrooms on almost 5 acres, coming up for auction without reserve Oct. 27 through Concierge Auctions. The house was previously listed for $21 million and later for $13 million. Property taxes in 2011 were $162,229.44. Built in the 1920s in the style of a French château, this home includes…