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Sep 21, 2023

Green Is the Theme in This Moody Victorian in San Francisco

In 2017, candy store co-owner Alan Ledford purchased this exquisite 1890

In 2017, candy store co-owner Alan Ledford purchased this exquisite 1890 Victorian, which is full of sweet surprises. Its innately adorned exterior, period molding, and original brickwork are just some of the things that initially drew him to the 3,000-square-foot condo in San Francisco. "There are plenty of Victorians in the area, but it's rare to find a home this detailed that has been preserved so well," says designer Regan Baker. An expansive view of the bay from the second-floor patio didn't hurt either.

The home is situated in Liberty Hill, one of San Francisco's oldest "suburbs" (it's a stretch of a several streets), which features fabulous 19th-century Victorian, Queen Anne, Stick, and Italianate homes, some of which were designed by the city's most well-known architects like Albert Pissis, who is credited with brining the Beaux-Arts style to the Bay, and the Newsom brothers. Alan, who has lived in the Mission District for eight years, had been in a smaller apartment when he found this home. "I feel in love with it immediately," he says. "It felt really well balanced between the charm and beauty of the architecture, but also updated appropriately."

Alan wanted a spot he could make his own with plenty of room to entertain and an edgy, quirky feel. When he moved in, it had already been renovated by a contractor with refined updates like modern cabinetry and white paint, but Regan was hired to both decorate and make the space more functional with additions like custom built-ins in Alan's all-green office and Semihandmade for IKEA cabinetry in the kitchen. "When we were sourcing, we looked for items with an edgy factor and light fixtures that were more industrial with darker finishes," she says. Nicknamed the Moody Mission Victorian, the design definitely encapsulates a unique feel perfect for the bachelor.

There's the hard-to-miss skeleton wallpaper from Texturae in the master bathroom, an original gas-run fixture in the foyer, moody Ellie Cashman floral wallpaper in the powder bath, and the cheeky Michael Northrup photograph she found through Uprise Art entitled Dad's Last Puff. There's even a gumball machine in the stairway, with only green gumballs, of course.

In the living room, Regan gave a nod to Alan's favorite color, green, with a mint-toned paint. "Because it's a very open floorplan, we wanted to do something with a wall color and liked this one because it still made the room feel light and bright," she says. In his office, she went with custom millwork and floor-to-ceiling built-ins on one end and freestanding bookshelves on the other. "We carried the base board around the bottom, so the shelving felt like it was there forever," she says. Another major improvement was made to Alan's master bedroom fireplace, which was original to the home. Regan went with a new surround, utilizing green handmade tile from Fireclay.

And to make sure the home was party-ready, plus suitable for out-of-town family, Regan went with a dining table from Design Within Reach that seats up to 12, and double coffee tables in the living room, plus a comfortable yet sophisticated lounge area with a secondary dining table and wet bar on the second floor. She added string lights and a custom wooden bench on the patio for the homeowner and guests to enjoy on warm evenings.

Overall, the home still evokes its Victorian past but now has a new life thanks to exciting and funky furnishings and art. "I’ve never felt so lucky to live in space that I love so much," Alan says. "It's truly a blessing and testament to all the work that Regan and her team did."

Keep it simple. While originally unsure of how it would turn out, the designer is thrilled with the look of the two brass-and-oak coffee tables in the living room that if you blink, you'll think are actually one piece. "Keep it simple and display a handful of items," Regan says. "Play with sculpture and keep the tonality and color palette similar."

Go bold with wallpaper. In lieu of a large art piece, Regan chose a brushstroke-patterned wallpaper from Anewall that scales two floors for the dining room. "The wall is visible when you walk in, so we wanted to make it a feature," she says.

All-over color is in. Regan played up the homeowner's favorite color, picking Benjamin Moore's Gondola Ride for his office. "We also painted the exterior of the door since it would be mostly kept open, allowing for this dramatic, dark space to be visible from the foyer."

Dulwich Extension Table by Design Within Reach, $2,995, dwr.com

Athena 6" Sconce by Cedar & Moss, $229, cedarandmoss.com

Downtown, Los Angeles artwork by Sinziana Velicescu, $900, upriseart.com

Capo Lounge Armchair by Neri & Hu for De La Espada, starting at $2,770, thefutureperfect.com

Dark Floral Vinyl Wallpaper by Ellie Cashman Design, price upon request, elliecashmandesign.com

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest