Lindsay Anyon Brier creates a warm, light-filled sanctuary in San Francisco's Sea Cliff neighborhood.
The Sea Cliff home offers stunning views from every room.
THE PROJECT
Even though their 4,600-square-foot home was renovated 10 years ago, a young family knew their spaces needed a refresh to update all of the furnishings and enhance the gardens and landscaping.
Designer Lindsay Anyon Brier
THE TEAM
The couple tapped renowned designer Lindsay Anyon Brier, founder and principal designer at Anyon Design & Atelier (@anyonatelier, @anyoninteriordesign), for the ambitious project. Brier tackled the top two main living areas, and she worked closely with landscape designer Erica Timbrell (@ericatimbrelldesign) to create a Japanese-inspired Zen garden for the home’s entryway, which sets a soothing tone for the homeowners and guests alike.
Brier’s approach to the design of the home matches her contemporary yet timeless aesthetic.
“Our portfolio is a bit more varied than some design firms,” says Brier. “I really enjoy the challenge and opportunity that each project brings, and our clients take us to different places and spaces; some are very contemporary, and some are more classic. The sites dictate different languages—the city, the mountains, the country, the beach. We have a modern sensibility, and there’s always some restraint and a preference for clean lines in our work. We like space for things to breathe. At the same time, we like texture and layering elements."
A breakfast nook is the perfect spot for morning coffee.
THE SETTING
The idyllic enclave of Sea Cliff is nothing short of a San Francisco gem, with breathtaking views that often dictate the way architects and interior designers approach their work here. “The weather is dramatic,” says Brier. “You can be completely fogged in, and you can experience the most glorious sunsets over the ocean—you can even see dolphins in the water. You truly watch the weather enter the golden gateway. I love looking down on Baker Beach, which has been my favorite spot since I was a child growing up in Noe Valley.”
A sofa by A Rudin anchors the light-filled living area.
THE GOALS
The homeowners’ goals dovetailed nicely with Brier’s overall aesthetic. “[Our goal] was to create a cohesive urban retreat that was warm and inviting, and to make sense of an open floor plan with zones for entertaining friends and colleagues,” she says. “Finally, [we wanted] to create a beautiful exterior leading [guests] to the house.” This was especially important since, as Brier says, the ocean air is intense, and the exterior of the house had taken a beating with the salt air and intense elements.
The bedroom is a quiet sanctuary featuring a bed and side tables from Sublime.
THE CHALLENGES
When Brier and her clients began considering paint and fabric choices, an intriguing phenomenon occurred. Since the home is perched above the water, paint chips and fabric samples took on blue tones—a reflection of the setting. “Samples looked fantastic at our office and had an entirely different tone at the site,” says Brier.
Mixedmedia pieces line the shelves, adding visual flair to the room.
THE LIVING AREAS
Brier says the cornerstone of the living room is a built-in banquette, which was custom designed by her team. “It created a more intimate seating arrangement, as well as a place to perch and watch the incredible view,” she says. “I wanted it to feel very light, so we cantilevered it off the wall and added decorative leather straps at each end. Also important to this room was the tete-a-tete sofa from A Rudin; it helps delineate the living and dining room area, but also keeps the seating open and flexible to both areas.”
The multifunctional dining area is graced by a bold round table from Anyon Atelier.
The kitchen in this home serves as a great connector, as it offers essential views to entertaining and lounging areas. Brier’s team also created a breakfast nook, which feels like a colorful private oasis—the perfect spot for morning coffee. The room’s bar stools were custom designed by Anyon, with fabric from Christopher Farr via De Sousa Hughes, and the table and chairs came from the Anyon Atelier. Brier selected a rich drapery fabric from Raoul Textiles.
Kitchen bar stools were custom designed by Anyon, with fabric from Christopher Farr.
“Dining rooms, as we know, play many roles—and this one is no exception,” says Brier about the space she carved out for entertaining, family dinners, homework and even Zoom meetings for work. The bold, round table from Anyon Atelier is the center of this large space; complementary elements include items like a dazzling chandelier and John Pomp bowls—also from the Anyon Atelier.
The family’s book collection plays a strong supporting role in the home’s decor strategy.
THE PRIMARY SUITE
“The primary suite is all about pulling back the ceiling-mounted drapery and experiencing the view,” says Brier. “The furnishings are intentionally kept very clean and minimal. The bed adds a quiet, dramatic moment.” The bed and side tables (Sublime) also were sourced from Anyon Atelier.
A built-in banquette was custom designed by Brier’s team.
THE OUTCOME
“No two spaces or clients are alike,” says Brier. “They each come with their own unique needs, stories and points of view. It’s our mission to stay open to the beauty inherent in all of them—to sense where there’s opportunity, to create solutions where there’s challenge and to bring a fresh, bold, modern perspective to everything we touch.”
For the young family, Brier’s work and philosophy—along with a revived landscaping scheme—created a quintessential retreat from an often harried city life. “The design enhanced the otherworldly views and made the home wonderfully liveable too,” she says.
HOME TYPE
Single-family
LOCATION
Sea Cliff
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Lindsay Anyon Brier
anyondesign.com
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Erica Timbrell
ericatimbrell.com
A Rudin
Tete-a-tete sofa, living room
arudin.com
Anyon Atelier
Cantilevered banquette, living room; bed, primary suite; bar stools, kitchen; table, dining room
anyondesign.com
Christopher Farr
Bar stool fabric, kitchen
christopherfarrcloth.com
Holly Hunt
Fabric for sectional, living room
hollyhunt.com
Raoul Textiles
Drapery fabric, kitchen
raoultextiles.com
Photography by: PHOTOGRAPHED BY BESS FRIDAY
