SF Properties - Luxury homes and real estate of San Francisco California

From the architect who brought us the Palace of Fine Arts

By Tessa McLean, San Francisco Chronicle Aug. 10, 2020 ••• The historic Pacific Heights mansion currently owned by Nextdoor co-founder Nirav Tolia is for sale for $25 million. The home was designed and built by architect George Applegarth for himself and his wife in 1916 on an extra-wide 49' lot. Applegarth is known for designing San Francisco landmarks like the Palace of Fine Arts…

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The New San Francisco Skyline

May 07, 2019 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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42nd San Francisco Decorator Showcase

May 07, 2019 Filed under: The Buzz

This year's Showcase is the Best in Show with drama and design worthy of a San Francisco world class Showcase home - Le Petit Trianon! Congratulations University High School!  University High School Decorator Showcase Information A peak into the rooms

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Mixed Signals in San Francisco Real Estate Market

November 20, 2018 Filed under: The Buzz

Market statistics in San Francisco are generating contradictory readings amid a background of financial market and political volatility, and rising interest rates. Some standard statistics take time to reflect changes on the ground, and will bear watching in coming months.     Mixed Signals in San Francisco Real Estate Market Sometimes Contradictory Sales and Inventory Indicators in City…

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Leonard’s Contemplations

October 19, 2018 Filed under: The Buzz

Elegance by Leonard Steinberg Yesterday I attended the memorial service of top New York agent Richard Wallgren who passed away recently. He was somewhat of a legend in New York real estate circles not just because he had sold the city's three most notable condo buildings - The Time Warner Center, 15 Central Park West and 432 Park Avenue - but mostly because he was one of those agents who possessed…

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Changing Places - An alternative to Staging

October 16, 2018 Filed under: The Buzz

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,…

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“And now we bless this edifice, the Salesforce Tower.” Not something one expects to hear at the topping-out celebration for the (newly minted) tallest building in San Francisco, but that’s just what happened during Thursday’s celebration of the Salesforce Tower. A structure so prominent that can be seen from the Presidio to the Oakland Hills. After a reception of kouign amans…

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Leonard’s Contemplations

March 20, 2017 Filed under: The Buzz

"KILLERS!" I never boast about anything in my career as I think its tacky (although I do think its important to broadcast your attributes in a crowded world), and I always attribute my success to all those around me that have helped me, especially my remarkable team. But there is one thing I will comfortably boast about:  I am a poster-child for the fact that you can be very successful in real…

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SF Fall Antique Show Opens

October 27, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

The San Francisco Fall Art & Antiques Show is the oldest continuously operating international art and antiques show on the West Coast. The Show features approximately sixty dealers from across the United States and Europe, offering for sale an extraordinary range of fine and decorative arts from around the world representing all styles and periods, including furniture, silver, ceramics, glass,…

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In their historic San Francisco home, art collectors Norah and Norman Stone give free rein to their playful sense of style From the outside, the stately house on a prime hilltop block in Pacific Heights, the gold coast of San Francisco, couldn’t be more traditional. Devised in 1927 by one of the city’s most prominent architects, Arthur Brown Jr., the classically appointed Beaux Arts residence…

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Compass Launches Ninth Luxury Market In San Francisco

September 09, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass, a technology-driven real estate platform, continues its national expansion with the launch of its San Francisco location. The firm, which has already established unprecedented market share across 8 luxury markets around the country, seeks to bring a more sophisticated real estate experience through the country's leading agents and proprietary…

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Unparallelled Beauty in Portugal

August 20, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Towering Talent

August 09, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

From City Hall to Coit Tower, architect Arthur Brown, Jr., changed the face of San Francisco (article by: Nobhill Gazette) THE BAY AREA HAS PRODUCED NUMEROUS TALENTED AND INNOVATIVE architects who have contributed greatly to the charm and allure of the region. One stands out for his long and remarkably productive career: Arthur Brown, Jr. Brown was born in Oakland in 1874, just five years after the…

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Developed by foster + partners, with C.F. møller as local architects, the project forms one of the largest urban transformation projects in Sweden. Working in collaboration with city authorities, the SEK 12 billion ($1.4 billion USD) scheme seeks to create a dynamic urban quarter that responds to its historic context. Constructed in 1642, ‘slussen’ is the lock that separates the…

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San Francisco’s Most Intoxicating Gourmet Tea Houses

July 06, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

Article by 7x7.com While quick-and-easy boba tea seems to be the tea drink of choice these day, this list of classic and gourmet tea houses focuses on more sophisticated experiences: house blends and dynamically sourced leaves among them. T-We T-We is more than just a place to grab a cup of tea, it's a rich and distinctive tea-drinking experience that includes great conversation from the guys behind…

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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…

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An Enchanting California Farmhouse with a Secret

May 30, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

1stdibs.com - by Alison Clare Steingold Thelma, Louise and Dot are restless. It’s 4 p.m. at Patina Farm, in California’s bucolic Ojai Valley — dinnertime for the three pygmy goats. The diminutive creatures, currently nudging their way onto a shaded stone porch, have certainly hit the farm jackpot: The French doors of their adoptive home, shaded by craggy ancient oaks, open to an expanse…

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Local Getaways

May 23, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

By TERESA RODRIGUEZ-Nob Hill Gazette Snuggled between April’s spring break madness and June’s summer vacations is mellow May—the ideal month to take a close-to- home staycation. You don’t have to travel far or stay for long to recharge and relax. Here are some fantastic destinations less than four hours by car from Nob Hill. FORT BRAGG: The Inn at Newport Ranch Although it might…

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Designer Crush: Riaz Taplin

April 06, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

It was a high school summer job managing a house remodel that ignited Riaz Taplin's love affair with real estate, and his passion continues to fuel a successful career years later. Since founding the Riaz Group in 2009, Taplin and his team have set a San Francisco residential property sales record with a Pacific Heights project and his investment firm Riaz Capital now owns and operates over 800…

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Alan Tanksley Has Mastered the Art of the Mix

March 21, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Eye on Design: The Luxury Hotel Experience Hits Home

March 20, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

If you have ever found yourself wishing that you could recreate the sense of wellbeing you feel during a stay at the Four Seasons, you’re not alone. A growing number of affluent homeowners are asking their designers to make their homes look and feel more like their favorite hotels, or asking their real estate agents to find a hotel-like property. “We see this across the spectrum of design…

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San Francisco's most venerated arts establishments are connecting with the next generation of audiences through modern, electrified programming, interactive events, and plenty of booze. If you were to take your little black dress or your best suit out for a Saturday-night date at one San Francisco's most venerable arts institutions—we're talking the opera and the theatuh—you…

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Having opened the only Flexform flagship showroom on the US West Coast in 2014, Flexform San Francisco recently introduced its new ‘Ready-Made’ quick ship program.  The ‘Ready-Made’ concept gives designers and retail clients the opportunity to purchase items from a dedicated area of the showroom, that can be delivered directly to their home within days.  No longer…

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Into the Woods

February 11, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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A Brit Does Bling with Politesse

January 25, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

London-based Nicola Fontanella creates ultra-luxe private homes distinguished equally by their elegance and their rock 'n' roll twists. There is a story that British interior designer Nicola Fontanella tells of her younger self that perfectly encapsulates her confident, can-do nature. Having landed her first major job in design 20 years ago — more on that later — she asked her bank…

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Napa Nouveau

January 07, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

Gentry Home When developer Mitch Menaged and his business partner Gary Raugh first laid eyes on a 60-acre property off Silverado Trail in Napa, they were astounded. “It was just over five years ago,” recalls Menaged. “The property had been in the same family for decades and was filled with beautiful fruit trees, old-growth oaks, a massive organic garden, and a worn-down house.”…

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January Agenda

January 06, 2016 Filed under: The Buzz

californiahomedesign.com Exhibit -"Slivers of Reality" Stanford graduate and Bay Area resident Ryan Jones rings in the new year with his first big art exhibit at downtown San Francisco's prestigious Caldwell Snyder Gallery. Fantasy meets a moody film noir vibe in his latest series of arresting paintings that combine geometric forms with bold colors and bodacious babes. Chances are this won't…

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A STYLISH SAN FRANCISCO NEW YEAR’S

December 27, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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WHY SAN FRANCISCO IS AWESOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

December 04, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

FIVE MUST-SEES IN SAN FRANCISCO THIS HOLIDAY SEASON San Francisco loves the holidays so much that it can’t limit itself to a single giant Christmas tree. There are actually dozens: Macy’s soaring 80-foot-plus tree in Union Square, an officially nondenominational tree at City Hall, and another majestic tree at PIER 39. But once you’ve wished for peace on Earth and goodwill to all,…

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In their own words

November 23, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

Interview by Alf Nucifora Chairman of the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco   She rules Bay Area real estate as does a monarch, with her kingdom, the nation north of California Street, home to San Francisco’s wealthy, influential and social elite. Swedish by birth, but San Franciscan by choice, she eschewed her family’s rarefied world of international diplomacy choosing instead…

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Ted Cohen’s 50 Year Legacy of The Art of Display

November 11, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

One of the Bay Area’s most respected exhibition designers, Ted Cohen has been creating inspired museum, gallery and private art environments for more than 56 years. He has designed hundreds of shows for institutions across the country, from the Oakland Museum—where he was an in-house exhibition designer for more than 26 years—to the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (now Museum of Arts…

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Serenity Now

October 13, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Renaissance Man: Achille Salvagni

August 31, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

You might say Achille Salvagni takes a strada less traveled. As one of four new designers recently indoctrinated into Elle Decor’s 2015 A-list, Salvagni is not easily influenced by trends or what’s currently in vogue. Instead, he believes, “elegance and beauty are above these barriers.” If the Rome-based architect and furniture designer sounds more like an Italian Renaissance…

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Step Inside an Urban-Inspired Tahoe Interior

July 10, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

Next generation Tahoe has set up camp and younger, fresher design is following in its wake. With the influx of technologically- and entrepreneurially-minded homeowners, demand has grown for residences that reflect more modern sensibilities, transforming the lake into a destination for contemporary architecture and interior design. Rather than abandoning Tahoe tradition altogether, however, young residents…

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A New Life For A Napa Valley Architectural Icon

June 08, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

What happens when a working winery is also an architectural gem? This was the challenge faced by the new general manager of Turnbull Wine Cellars, Zoe Johns, whose family purchased the Oakville property in 1993 from the late architect William Turnbull Jr. Turnbull, a modern architect with a pioneering take on Northern California vernacular, is the creator of several iconic buildings, including the…

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Beauty By the Bay

March 03, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Mad for Midcentury: John Bertram

February 24, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

The Rat Pack is back? For some architects—like John Bertram—the form of modernism once immortalized by Ol’ Blue Eyes and Dean Martin never really left. His namesake firm is best known for restoring homes from the midcentury period, including those designed by Richard Neutra (1892-1970), whom many consider to be one of the founding fathers of California Modernism. To date, Bertram…

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How Boomers Will Shape the Future of Our Cities

February 05, 2015 Filed under: The Buzz

The principal of CannonDesign predicts that his generation will be active participants in making our urban environments healthier. I am an architect, and a designer of cities. I am also among the Boomer generation, the 65-year-plus demographic that, due to our increasing numbers, is creating a giant bubble at the upper end of the population charts. We are not, however, aging like the generations that…

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Happy Santa Lucia!

December 13, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

Happy Santa Lucia! The morning of Dec 13th in all of Sweden the Queen of Light - the Santa Lucia - comes to her beloved ones with live candles singing the Santa Lucia carols. This is a Holiday loved by all children and is a must in every household to celebrate by dressing like the Lucia. There is a national Lucia chosen for the year and she parades the streets of Stockholm dressed in a big white fur…

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- 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…

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Entertaining for the Holidays? Rent a Restaurant

November 11, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

For most of us, November and December are the busiest months of the year. Besides obligations to our families and relatives, there are holiday office parties and, of course, entertaining our friends and clients. Take the worry and stress out of planning these events by renting an entire restaurant for an evening or afternoon. The staff will work with you to design an appropriate menu, and will take…

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A Beautiful Mind

October 27, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

Like Vishnu’s dream, there is a realm of San Francisco that emerged from the mind of Stanlee Gatti. In that dimension a hundred thousand peonies grow;  light radiates from countless candles; and of course, there is a cosmic DJ. As San Francisco’s leading event guru, Gatti merges art, architecture, interiors, floral design and graphics into stellar happenings. Over the past three decades,…

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Real Estate Round Table

September 09, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

San Francisco housing is a bargain? That was the consensus of more than two dozen of the region’s top real estate professionals attending a recent round-table luncheon at the Fairmont Hotel. Hosted by the Nob Hill Gazette and moderated by Rhonda Diaz Caldewey of Terranomics, this annual event offers a reliable barometer of the local housing market and a prescient prognosis of where the market…

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How to Infuse European Style into California

July 28, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Epic Events Around The World

July 01, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

Throughout the year and around the world, people are gathering together in some of the most incredible places to experience and celebrate the best that life has to offer. From open-air operas in Turkey to breathtaking fireworks in St. Petersburg, here is a list of some of the most amazing events on the planet. Saint Valentine’s Grand Ball Step back in time to Venice during Carnival and let the…

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Steven Harris and Lucien Rees Roberts

May 20, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

Newlyweds and long time collaborators, this designing duo creates architecture and interiors for visually striking, clean-lined residences everywhere from Manhattan to Mumbai. Architect Steven Harris and interior designer Lucien Rees Roberts are the kind of partners in business and life who finish each others thoughts. Here, they're recounting how they acquired their Croatian getaway, an ancient…

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Big-budget Furniture Designers To Watch

May 12, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

One that makes a bold statement or a piece that subtly shines from the shelf throughout the decades? Do you look up to it or does it ground you? Is the table, chair, sofa, lamp, bed really worth it? In the world of high-end furniture design, the Bay Area is home to a legion of luxury tastemakers who can help us answer those questions. Tempting us with objects that we never knew we always wanted, and…

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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,…

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Tour Serena & Lily’s San Francisco Design Shop

April 29, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

Located on upscale Sacramento Street, the sunny space lets visitors get hands-on with gorgeous products from throws and bedding to lighting and storage. Walk-in customers and decorators alike can browse swatches, consult with the company's in-house design advisors, hold meetings, and get up close and personal with furniture, lighting, bedding, and more. http://www.lonny.com/Tour+Serena+Lily%27s+San+Francisco+Design+Shop…

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Generous Generations Rising

April 14, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

While bad news often seems to be the theme of the day, many observers are excited to note a new trend among the younger generations: It’s cool to be a philanthropist! We’re not just talking money. Philanthropy literally means a love of humanity—an altruistic concern for human welfare. And even though these caring citizens have all donated to various causes, money isn’t how they…

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Gardens are for living

March 25, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

Over the past two decades, Judy Kameon, the founder of the design firm Elysian Landscapes, has created some of Southern California’s most inviting outdoor spaces. She focuses primarily on residential gardens for clients like Sofia Coppola but has also completed some notable commercial commissions, including the grounds of the Parker Palm Springs, a project on which she worked closely with Jonathan…

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The 2014 AD Top 100

February 03, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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The Cliff House At 150

January 08, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the Golden Gate Bridge, sure. But also the Cliff House, a modest building situated in a magnificent setting. There remains controversy about how many Cliff Houses have existed on the cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the western rim of San Francisco. There are proponents for three, four, and five. The historic records seem to indicate that the first Cliff…

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Beyond Chic: Great Fashion Designers at Home

January 03, 2014 Filed under: The Buzz

Beyond Chic Tours the Homes of Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Reed Krakoff, and Other Fashion Designers. In Beyond Chic: Great Fashion Designers at Home (The Vendome Press, $85), influential fashion icons and tastemakers open their private quarters to photographer Ivan Terestchenko. Far from the pressure of the catwalk and the atelier, personalities such as Azzedine Alaïa, Manolo Blahnik,…

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The holiday season is here and we are headed to our favorite San Francisco boutiques! Below are a few of our favorite hot spots, best of the best for holiday shopping. Sue Fisher King Smashing home decor Love the creative website! Home Décor, colorful accessories, delicious textures, gift wrapping to die for. SFK has been part of the San Francisco community for 33 years. www.suefisherking.com/…

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Designer Crush Q&A: Steven Favreau

November 21, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Getting It Right

October 24, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

What makes a great furniture company or design shop? There’s more to it than following trends—or even starting them. The best shops and companies feature curated collections that mix high and low, and bring new and relevant interpretations to reliable forms. Perhaps they incorporate craft without dismissing technology, or elevate luxury to a form of conceptual art. Maybe they design with…

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Axel Vervoordt’s Design Philosophy

September 12, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

Architectural Digest: We treasure things that are made by time,” says Axel Vervoordt, offering as good a summary as you’ll get of the antiques dealer and interior designer’s celebrated style—which favors muted tones, weathered surfaces, richly patinated antiques, and a mix of ancient and modern artworks that share abstract, universal qualities. Among the world’s most influential…

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Blue Bloods & Billionaires

September 09, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

Vanity Fair Reports: The new guard of tech entrepreneurs moving into San Francisco’s ultra-exclusive neighborhood of Pacific Heights, historically a Waspy and conservative enclave of old-money families, is creating friction, writes contributing editor Evgenia Peretz in the October issue. Peretz speaks with both new and old residents, exploring the culture clash. “They bore the hell out…

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13 Architecture Photographers to Follow Now

August 19, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

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/

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Jackson Place

June 10, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

The superlative JACKSON PLACE condominium development, by Designer Riaz Taplin of Artthaus, is a boutique residential building with a level of premier concierge services befitting the pleasures of City living at its finest. State of the art systems have been carefully built into the development—from entertainment, communications and security to acoustical, energy efficiency, structural and full…

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Apps For Luxury Living

May 03, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

With the advent of smartphones, a vast new frontier for apps opened up. Apps help people do everything from traveling the globe to managing their time, to keeping tabs on their investments. Here are a few apps dedicated to luxurious living. Do you want to jet to your next exotic locale without all the hassles of airport security? Download the Private Fly app for iPhone. You’ll find private charter…

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Passion Play: Upfront with Malin Giddings

April 23, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

“Golf is life; the rest are details,” proclaims Malin Giddings, a luxury real estate specialist who has spent the last 20 years of her life on the fairways. For an agent who ranks No. 3 in the nation among Coldwell Banker Previews® specialists, it’s remarkable that Giddings finds even one afternoon per week to play the game, let alone rack up tournament championships right along…

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Art Exodus, The San Francisco Art World Is Going South

April 08, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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ELLE DECOR Goes to Coastal California

April 01, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

Winding from the modernist compounds of Malibu through the redwood rusticity of Big Sur to the Victorian inns on the Monterey Peninsula, there is a ribbon of blacktop so mythic that Californians simply call it “the One.” Indeed, portions of California State Route 1 have been officially designated national scenic byways. Along the way, there are relics of the ancient Chumash tribe, 18th-century…

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Malin Giddings Named No. 1 Agent in Northern California

March 05, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – March 1, 2013 – Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, the Bay Area's leading real estate services company, announced today that renowned San Francisco Realtor Malin Giddings ranked as the top agent for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Northern California and third in North America for sales last year. Giddings, who works in Coldwell Banker Residential…

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San Francisco’s Resident Frenchman

March 01, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

Growing up in the small Gascon village of Roques in France, Laurent Manrique developed a love of cooking from his grandparents. He has turned that early passion into becoming one of the most lauded chefs on both U.S. coasts. Manrique has earned top ratings at New York City’s renowned Le Grand Comptoir, Waldorf Astoria’s Peacock Alley, and Gertrude’s, but it seems San Francisco is…

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45 scenic way - stunning willis polk home & garden

February 22, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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CELEBRATING ARCHITECT BERNARD MAYBECKS 151st BIRTHDAY

February 16, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

Where is the most romantic spot in the City for the first kiss, proposals of marriage and intimate wedding portraiture? The iconic Palace of Fine Arts!  Designed by Bernard Maybeck for the Pacific Panama International Exposition of 1915, the restored majestic rotunda and colonnade with reflecting pool provide a glorious setting for life’s most memorable events to this day! Raised in Greenwich…

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Malin & Max host nextdoor.com

February 11, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

Great event hosted by Malin & Max on 2/7 at  2950 Vallejo Street Georgian mansion to introduce Nextdoor.com and Co-founder Sarah Leary who presented the engaging online concept designed to create an informal ‘close to home’ neighborly exchange of community information and services. The impressive grand living room with the spectacular Palace of Fine Arts and bay views was beautifully…

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CELEBRATING ARCHITECT JULIA MORGAN’S 141st BIRTHDAY

January 30, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

We tip our hat to Julia Morgan on her birthday as one of the great American architects, and for opening the door to the advancement of women's opportunities within the field. Alma mater UC Berkeley, BS/Engineering1894, only woman in her class 1st woman at l’Ecole nationale superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris 1896 First woman architect licensed in California in 1904 Legacy of advancing women’s…

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In the throes of elegance

January 22, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Doorsteps, an up-and-coming online resource, has a purpose that sounds simple, but isn’t always so -- making home buying easier. For inexperienced buyers, the task can be daunting. But the online tool seeks to improve the way people buy, finance and own a home by guiding them through each step of the process. “It was surprising to think that the single biggest purchase of my life was so…

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How to choose the right agent by Malin Giddings

January 03, 2013 Filed under: The Buzz

One of the most important financial decisions that we make in life is the investment represented by buying or selling our home. It is perhaps one of the most stressful events in our lives. Thus, the most important first step is to choose the right Agent to represent you. Unfortunately most people have very little experience with how best to hire the right professional to achieve a successful sale.…

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Economists upbeat about housing moving forward

December 27, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

Zillow is releasing results from the latest Zillow Home Price Expectations survey, a nationwide, quarterly survey of more than 100 economists and forecasters based on where they believe the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index is headed over the next five years. Survey respondents said they expect home prices to increase in full-year 2012 by 4.6 percent, up from their more modest forecast…

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Dining out on Christmas Day

December 22, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Sophisticated vertical communities

December 14, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

Sophisticated vertical communities, housed in statement super-structures, are a pioneering, eco-conscious response to today’s dense urban sprawl. While the skylines of some of the world’s most progressive cities continue to shift and grow, a new generation of skyscrapers is springing up – and the best of this new breed is very different in character from the old. These are distinctive…

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5 steps for the ultimate smooth move

December 12, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

Yes the dreaded “move", the next step after purchasing the house of your dreams! We sat down with Paula Spooner of Transitions grand madam of “organization” and asked her to hand hold us through 5 important steps to achieving the ultimate smooth move: As we all know, moving can be a very stressful event.  It is, according to those who study stress, to be Number 3 right after…

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It’s unclear who appreciates San Francisco’s architecture more -- the tourists who come and marvel at the distinctive Transamerica Pyramid, the Beaux Arts masterpiece that is City Hall and the glittering Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, or those of us who live here and enjoy our dazzling cityscape on a daily basis. One thing is certain, though, along with its food and fog, San…

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Technically sophisticated, beautifully crafted floating houses

November 29, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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ART WORLD DESCENDS ON MIAMI BEACH!

November 29, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

We here at sfproperties will be working hard and can’t make the flight to Miami, but hoping you can! The spotlight of the modern and contemporary art world will shine brightly on South Florida for four days beginning Dec. 6 when one of the most prestigious art shows in the world takes over the Miami Beach Convention Center. Art Basel Miami Beach, the domestic version of the legendary Art Basel…

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Holiday shopping at our favorite San Francisco boutiques!

November 27, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

The holiday season has arrived and we are gearing up, headed to our favorite San Francisco boutiques! Below are a few of our favorite hot spots, best of the best for holiday shopping! Sue Fisher King Smashing home decor Love the creative website! Home Décor, colorful accessories, delicious textures, gift wrapping to die for. SFK has been part of the San Francisco community for 33 years. http://www.suefisherking.com/…

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No Fall Slowdown in Bay Area as Buyers Snatch up Luxury Homes

November 24, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

The housing market is supposed to slow down as we get deeper into the fall season and inch closer to the holidays, but something very unusual is happening here in the Bay Area. Not only is the market remaining active overall, there’s been a remarkable surge in luxury home buying – in particular, the mega-home sales. A quick look at closed sales at the end of October caught my attention.…

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Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute Gala

November 19, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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Helping those in need

November 19, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

Tis the season of giving so please reach out to help those in need. Sfproperties has put together a small list of Bay Area Organizations that could use your donations as we enter the 2012 holiday season. GLIDE http://www.glide.org/ (415) 674-6000 GLIDE offers a full range of services as it works to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization. St. Vincent de Paul Society…

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Service Included

November 13, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

“The Ritz is my home”, Coco Chanel once declared. The fashion guru lived 37 years of her remarkable life in five-star luxury at Paris’s chicest hotel with a view of Place Vendôme and incomparable 24-hour service. She wasn’t alone: Sarah Bernhardt and whisky baron Sir Thomas Dewar resided at London’s Savoy, the Vanderbilts at the New York Plaza. All as lessees. These…

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ONE OF MALIN’S FAVORITE DESIGNERS!

November 08, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

Timeless Interiors by Axel Vervoodt, one of our favorite designers is a must read. Axel was nominated for Architectural Digests AD100, an annual selection of inspiring, imaginative trailblazers within Architecture and Design. Architectural Digest says: “The subtle rooms that are his claim to fame—spartan to some eyes but warmed by smooth plaster walls, hearty linen, and aged wood—exhibit…

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Houzz

November 06, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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You don't have to live in San Francisco long to know that we have a seriously world-class music scene on our hands here. In any one week, you can see a fuzzed-out garage band that's the darling of the indie scene, jazz legends play at Yoshi's, a performance by the SF Symphony, or world-famous pop legends take over the stage at the Fillmore. One way to see every show that's at your fingertips…

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Dine on Design

October 30, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

Generally, when traveling, it’s best to leave your hotel to dine. It’s the way to “really see” a place, and likely enjoy a better meal. But in San Francisco’s SoMa (South of Market), a neighborhood better known for business deals than culinary offerings, three restaurants, all affiliated with or adjacent to hotels, are upending that notion. The real proof: They are hits…

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Zillow: Bay Area real estate rebounding

October 23, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show

October 22, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

THE SAN FRANCISCO FALL ANTIQUES SHOW is the oldest continuously operating international antiques show on the West Coast. The Show features approximately seventy dealers from across the United States and Europe, offering for sale an extraordinary range of fine and decorative arts representing all styles and periods including American, English, Continental, and Asian furniture, silver, ceramics, glass,…

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Which cities are the best bets for real estate next year?

October 18, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

San Francisco was rated first for investment, development and home building in the 2013 "Emerging Trends in Real Estate" report by the Urban Land Institute and PwC. The report says: "In 2013, San Francisco steals the triple crown from Washington, D.C., receiving top billing in the Emerging Trends investment, development, and housing categories. 'San Francisco is driven by growth and a strong jobs…

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DO YOU KNOW WHO’S NEXT DOOR ON NEXTDOOR?

October 11, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

We recently became fans of the new social networking site, Nextdoor.com, which is designed to connect people to others in their own neighborhood, and let members know of things going on nearby. When co-founder Nirav Tolia launched the site he pointed out “There are so many ways our neighbors can help us,” he said, “but many of us don’t know our neighbors, or how to contact them.”…

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Silicon Valley Versailles to Hit Auction Block October 27

October 10, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

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…

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NORMAN CONQUEST: GÉRARD TREMOLET’S NORMANDY HOME

October 09, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

For fashion insider Gérard Tremolet, a château in Normandy becomes an opportunity to indulge his exuberant gift for color and ornamentation. “I’ve always loved excess,” declares Gérard Tremolet, and during the 30 years the designer spent at the heart of the Paris fashion world, he was certainly a larger-than-life figure. Tremolet made a striking appearance, for…

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JAY JEFFERS OPENS A UNIQUE STORE IN SAN FRANCISCO

October 08, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

Having been a top talent in the interior design business for 15 years, Jay Jeffers has developed a discerning eye for selecting furniture and accessories for his clients—so much so that he decided to offer his viewpoint to a wider audience. His recently opened San Francisco boutique, Cavalier by Jay Jeffers, is a stylish assemblage of objets d’art, home furnishings, artwork, and accessories,…

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Frieze Art Fair Delivers Contemporary and More

October 06, 2012 Filed under: The Buzz

Many wealthy young men of the 18th century finished their educations with a grand tour—a voyage to the great cultural sites of Europe, from which they carried home art and antiques as souvenirs. The grand tour tradition is no more, but the idea of traveling to legendary cities to purchase art evolved into a worldwide circuit of must-see fairs such as Frieze. As the contemporary art fair enters…

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