The Silver Lining
San Francisco, California
Architect: Mork-Ulnes
Contractor: Rico General Construction
Project Manager: Raffi Nazarian
Landscape Architect: Terremoto
Lighting Design: Pritchard Peck
Photographer: Bruce Damonte
Stylist: Yedda Morrison
“I’m a very curious person and this translates to how I design in that I’m always absorbing, learning and interpreting. Naturally drawn to quirk, I will always be excited by the unexpected and rarely shy away from the bold. I think of my own house as a place to experiment, take risks and fearlessly test ideas that have been percolating for a long time but haven’t held with clients.
The concepts of maximal minimalism, unexpected color combinations, and play are big influences in my work, so they are definitely present in my own home. Here saturated color punctuates every room. The experimental ideas of the Space Age movement and Superstudio’s take on postmodernism have always intrigued me. A few of the more psychedelic pieces in my house are from or inspired by these movements such as the custom pink acrylic pendant by Joanna Grawunder hanging over our kitchen island, the silver ‘rumpled spaceman’ drapery in the library and the vintage Raymond Loewy dresser in the primary bedroom. They are also some of the first things purchased specifically for the house so they were strong influences on the overall aesthetic direction. While in Venice, Italy I saw so much terrazzo and came home inspired to use it for every inch of the floor. Textures, forms, and colors that I’ve always loved show up throughout the interior creating a sense of cohesion and order, but also playfulness.
Our house reflects the strong relationships we’d built in the local community. Many Bay Area artists, colleagues and exceptionally talented friends contributed to the design including Tina Frey, Linda Fahey and Sean Robins of Studio Van Den Akker and so many others. We have work by artists and designers who we have long-admired and then gotten to know. Our home is a testament to our friends and to so many meaningful interconnections.”
— Alison Damonte
Johanna Grawunder was commisioned to create her Disky 7 pendant which floats within the generous gabled space, establishing an elevated standard for form coexisting with function throughout the house.
A single mirrored shelf discretely containing outlets and lighting is also a stage for objects adding to the space’s double purpose as both kitchen and rotating gallery.
The concepts of maximal minimalism, unexpected color combinations, and play are big influences in my work, so they are definitely present in my own home. Here saturated color punctuates every room. The experimental ideas of the Space Age movement and Superstudio’s take on postmodernism have always intrigued me. A few of the more psychedelic pieces in my house are from or inspired by these movements such as the custom pink acrylic pendant by Joanna Grawunder hanging over our kitchen island, the silver ‘rumpled spaceman’ drapery in the library and the vintage Raymond Loewy dresser in the primary bedroom. They are also some of the first things purchased specifically for the house so they were strong influences on the overall aesthetic direction. While in Venice, Italy I saw so much terrazzo and came home inspired to use it for every inch of the floor. Textures, forms, and colors that I’ve always loved show up throughout the interior creating a sense of cohesion and order, but also playfulness.
Our house reflects the strong relationships we’d built in the local community. Many Bay Area artists, colleagues and exceptionally talented friends contributed to the design including Tina Frey, Linda Fahey and Sean Robins of Studio Van Den Akker and so many others. We have work by artists and designers who we have long-admired and then gotten to know. Our home is a testament to our friends and to so many meaningful interconnections.
— Alison Damonte
Pucci de Rossi candelabras sit atop a custom table made entirely of recycled plastic by Dirk Vanderkooij, framed by painting by Luke Diiorio, 70s chairs from Belgium, and a banquet visually floating on a mirror base.
The view of Diamond Heights is framed by sculptural artworks and collectible furniture by Italian, French, Japanese, and American designers.
A daybed was incorporated into Terremoto’s design for the surrounding planters and gardens, based on a motif that repeats throughout the home.
Trompe l’oeil wallpaper from Parisian atelier Nobilis and a sloped black mirror ceiling transform this a discreet powderroom into a surprising cabinet of curiosities.
A spiral steel staircase takes it’s D shape from the entry planter on the front of the house and employs vertical steel tubes polished one one face to a mirror finish to create an effect that is both playful and glamorous. The entry closet riffs on the shape as well, employing custom resin pulls by Tina Frey.
A red leather clad AT-16 coatrack by Oswaldo Borsani resides within the base of the stairwell as a landing spot upon returning via the adjacent garage.
A floating wall clad in resin tile with built in nightstands separates the dressing closet from the bedroom. The Garvey Chair by friends Studio van den Akker was named after Alison for her maiden name.
The master bathroom vanity is a perfect case of the home’s maximal minimilism. Aesthetically simple, yet complex in effect, a backlit round mirror floats above a plane of black mirror set flush into a wall of Morrocan plaster or Tadelakt. Orion pendants by Lee Broom hang over the black marble countertop, adding to the slightly cosmic, yet soothing atmosphere.
Three chairs acquired from a dusty warehouse in the suburbs of Marrakesh enjoy a new life reupholsterd in boiled wool on a round shearling rug with a table by sculptor Alma Allen and views of surrounding artworks including one of Amy Feldman’s monumental paintings.
Discovered at cocktail bar Peachy’s in NYC, this Gucci wallpaper in a limited pink colorway creates a theatrical and immersive bathroom to tie in with the moody drama of the adjoining den.
Desk for a lucky architectural photographer, featuring commissioned artwork by Johnny Abrahams and vintage Eclipse pendant by mid century Murano glass pioneer Carlo Nason.
A vintage Paco Rabonne screen was reshaped to act as a large visual element above the guest bed, refracting light from the single small window in the room. Other elements include a painting by Matt Kleberg, mobile by Carl Zahn, vase for Pierre Cardin, mod Spanish chrome lamps, and George Nelson ThinLine dresser and nightstands in gorgeous Brazillian rosewood.