(Candace Barnes, original photo on Houzz)
A Foggy Palette & Plenty of Antiques Set the Mood in a 105-Year-Old Ashbury Heights House
21 August 2017
Ashbury Heights is full of stunning houses, each with its own history and style, including this stunning home by Candace Barnes.
Barnes, a San Francisco designer and antiques dealer, remodeled the 1912 house for her family, creating a timeless, traditional style to fit her amazing collection of antiques. A foggy, city-inspired color palette and European-inspired architecture combine with 18th- and 19th-century antiques to create this lovely home.
Houzz at a Glance
Designed for: Candace Barnes and her family
Location: Ashbury Heights
Size: 2,800 square feet; 3 1/2 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms
(Candace Barnes, original photo on Houzz)
The master bedroom feels luxuriously soothing, with its soft palette and sunlight. In lieu of a headboard, Barnes used an antique chinoiserie screen in black and gold. A pair of art deco bronze tables with black marble tops ties the dark feature with rest of the decor.
Ottomans: custom; drapes: custom, silk; chandelier: antique.
▲(Candace Barnes, original photo on Houzz)
Barnes opened up the house to create a light-filled, functional environment. Replacing the dilapidated windows and doors with high European-style versions brought in more light, and antique Indian and Syrian mirrors with mother-of-pearl and bone reflect it around this open dining space.
▲(Candace Barnes, original photo on Houzz)
Barnes carefully optimized the kitchen's space, putting in cabinets and extra storage wherever possible. Even the supports in the center island open: One holds trash; the other, recycling.
Countertop: honed limestone; cabinetry: custom, Candace Barnes Design; sink, faucet: Kohler.
Pendants: custom Chinese fabric lanterns.
▲(Candace Barnes, original photo on Houzz)
Built-in shelves in the entry display a collection of antique books. An early-19th-century Biedermeier pedestal table and a 19th-century bronze chandelier with serpents complete the home's grand and traditional welcoming area.
(Candace Barnes, original photo on Houzz)
Most of the home's furniture came from Barnes' antiques shop, including this beautiful art deco alabaster chandelier in the living room.
(Candace Barnes, original photo on Houzz)
The fireplace connecting the indoors and outdoors warms the downstairs patio, too. New cushions update the antique patio furniture for everyday use.
Patio tile: Peacock Pavers.
▲The muted color palette found its inspiration in the Ashbury Heights setting, mimicking the foggy tones of San Francisco's skies. "The colors really reflect the subtle nuances of the environment here," says Barnes. The pale gray oak herringbone floors add to the ambience.
The kitchen has the same luxe look as the rest of the house, although the cabinetry adds a dark twist. A bank of cabinets over the sink originally took up significant visual space and blocked the light. Barnes took off those cabinets and designed the new ceiling-high cabinets on the right.
The antique furniture was carefully chosen to complement the home's European-inspired architecture. "Once the home was complete, architecturally, it felt like it could stand alone," says Barnes. "It didn't call for a lot of enhancements and decorations."
Ashbury Heights is one of San Francisco's more eclectic neighborhoods, with homes ranging from Victorian to midcentury. "It's a very unique neighborhood," says Barnes. "Every house has a personality."
// This story was written by Vannesa Brunner, and originally published on Houzz.
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