A condo at the new One Steuart Lane on the Embarcadero showcases the art of sitting pretty.
The condo boasts exceptional views of the Bay Bridge from nearly every room.
THE PROJECT
A Bay Area couple, serious art collectors who enjoy exceptional food and wine, moved into a new luxe condo development with some of San Francisco’s most coveted views. One Steuart Lane (onesteuartlane.com), developed by renowned architects at SOM (som.com), sits on the Embarcadero. The three-bedroom, 2,800-square-foot home serves as a pied-a-terre for the couple.
THE TEAM
San Mateo-based TRG Architecture + Interior Design (trgarch.com), led by husband and wife team Randy Grange and Leslie Lamarre, was selected to tackle the ambitious project. “I enjoy working across a range of aesthetics,” says Lamarre. “I don’t approach a project with preconceived notions about the style. I love getting to know each client, their stylistic preferences and how they like to live in their home.”
Lamarre’s team uses wish lists, questionnaires, photos and many face-to-face meetings with clients to reach a common ground about the look and feel of each room. “We’re passionate about pulling together an aesthetic that [represents the couple] but more,” she says. “We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t push our clients’ boundaries a bit, and clients are grateful for this. One of the greatest compliments we hear is, ‘This is totally us—but better!’”
Tables and chairs from Poliform grace the dining room, along with lighting from Coup D’Etat.
THE GOALS
Lamarre’s charge included full-service interior design and converting one of the three bedrooms into a home office. Her team also provided all furnishings, decorative lighting and wall treatments. While the condo is a launching point for enjoying the city’s art, culture and food scene, the couple also wanted a tranquil retreat for unwinding.
The biggest challenge? “Walking the line presented by our overarching goal,” says Lamarre. “[We needed to] design a space where the furniture wouldn’t shout, ‘Look at me!’ which meant toning down some initial selections to ensure the art remained front and center.”
GREAT ROOM
Talk about staggering views. This space overlooks San Francisco Bay, with vistas that include Treasure Island, the Bay Bridge and Cupid’s Span. “Sitting in a space like this—looking out on our busy Bay Area lives—is like stopping time,” says Lamarre. “I wanted the space to capture the tranquility of this moment. The watery, bubbly glass of the coffee table by Luma Design Workshop (lumadesignworkshop.com) via Sloan Miyasato (sloanm.com) is a horizontal plane that mimics the water plane outside—picking up where the Bay leaves off—while a steel structure reflects elements of the bridge outside.”
Other standout pieces include Minotti (minotti.com) sofa and lounge chairs via Arkitektura (arksf.com), a rug from Tufenkian (tufenkian.com) and a Caste (castedesign.com) side table via De Sousa Hughes (desousahughes.com).
“We designed the custom console with leather-wrapped panels to hide the TV,” says Lamarre, adding that a TV lift can raise the screen but keeps the large-scale art unobstructed. “We also wrapped the structural column with neutral-toned, top-stitched leather strips to help soften the space.”
In addition to city views, an extensive art collection is a central theme of the home.
DINING ROOM
“When we received the original floor plan, the dining room was in the center of the open area and away from the windows,” says Lamarre. There was, however, a spot in the great room tucked into a corner with floor-to-ceiling windows. “There was no question in my mind that the dining table was going in that corner. How could you pass up an opportunity to dine overlooking the Embarcadero, with front-row views of the Ferry Building, Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge?”
Lamarre added a table and chairs from Poliform (poliform.it), a Christopher Boots (christopherboots.com) chandelier from Coup D’Etat (coupdetatsf.com) and a Tufenkian rug.
KITCHEN
The condo’s kitchen was set when the couple moved in, but Lamarre added a rift oak frame around the upper cabinetry to warm the space. “The kitchen ceilings are solid concrete, and the only possible illumination in this space was a single, off-center wire above the island,” says Lamarre. “At the recommendation of our lighting designer, we added the dropped ceiling that allowed us to provide both functional can lighting and a centered decorative pendant.” She added a Hersh Design (hershdesign.com) Skylon Oval pendant from De Sousa Hughes and counter stools from Poliform.
The primary suite’s soothing elements include wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries, nightstands from DeSousa Hughes and a cloud chandelier from Apparatus Studio.
PRIMARY SUITE
“The owner opted not to have a headboard so the art for this area could be as large-scale as possible,” says Lamarre. “Instead, we designed a clean-lined, smoky rift-oak paneled wall that anchors the bed and captures the nightstands, simplifying the space by helping the trio read as a single vignette.”
The TRG custom-designed bed is elevated to provide soft toe-kick lighting that’s functional and romantic. Phillip Jeffries (phillipjeffries.com) grasscloth wallcovering frames a room that holds an Atelier Purcell (atelierpurcell.com) lounge chair, ottoman and nightstands from De Sousa Hughes, and Caste bedside lamps, side table and lounge chair. A Tufenkian rug lines the room, and an Apparatus Studio (apparatusstudio.com) Cloud chandelier adds soft lumens to the tranquil sanctuary. “For the walk-in closet, the owner selected a Rimadesio (rimadesio.it) system from Nido Living (nidosf.com) that beautifully complements the space,” says Lamarre.
HOW THE HOME IS LIVING
“Our clients are thrilled with the place,” says Lamarre. “They say it has worked as well for hosting large gatherings as it has for quiet weekend retreats. In their words, ‘One Steuart Lane is truly our home away from home.’”
Natural light pours into a cozy reading nook.
HOME DETAILS
Home Type
Condo
Location
One Steuart Lane onesteuartlane.com
Architecture and Interior Design
TRG Architecture + Interior Design trgarch.com
RESOURCES
Apparatus Studio
Cloud chandelier, primary suite apparatusstudio.com
Atelier Purcell via
De Sousa Hughes Lounge chair, ottoman, nightstands, primary suite atelierpurcell.com, desousahughes.com
Caste via De Sousa Hughes
Side table castedesign.com, desousahughes.com
Christopher Boots via Coup D’Etat
Chandelier, dining room christopherboots.com, coupdetatsf.com
Hersh Design via De Sousa Hughes
Skylon Oval pendant, kitchen hershdesign.com, desousahughes.com
Luma Design Workshop via Sloan Miyasato
Coffee table, great room lumadesignworkshop.com, sloanm.com
Minotti via Arkitektura
Sofa and lounge chairs, living room minotti.com, arksf.com
Phillip Jeffries
Wallcovering, primary suite phillipjeffries.com
Poliform
Chair, dining room; stools, kitchen poliform.it
Rimadesio via Nido Living
Closet system, primary suite rimadesio.it, nidosf.com
Tufenkian
Rugs, great room, dining room, primary suite tufenkian.com
Photography by: R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN; STYLED BY TIFFANY BLAYLOCK/MATADOR STUDIO
