Set in a Beaux-Arts building in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights, this pied-à-terre channels the spirit of the 1920s through original architectural features, layered with vibrant colors and distinctive materials, crafting a uniquely inviting urban home.
- 1920s architectural details paired with lively modern interiors
- Rich colors inspired by art and local light enhance warmth
- A harmonious city retreat designed for family connection
What happened
This San Francisco pied-à-terre was thoughtfully redesigned by Merritt Amanti Palminteri to serve as a welcoming city retreat for a family based in Carmel. Located on the sixth floor of a Beaux-Arts building in Pacific Heights, the apartment preserves many original features, such as striking millwork, paneled doors, and classic sash windows, while introducing a contemporary and playful interior style. The renovation included expanding the main closet and bathroom, maintaining much of the original layout but updating the space to better suit modern living.
The apartment was crafted to offer a comfortable and stylish home for the husband during the workweek, with the wife and children joining on weekends. It balances historic respect and individuality, using rich materials, expressive art, and colors selected to complement the natural Northern California light filtering through. The spaces are designed to feel lived-in and welcoming, including cozy reading nooks and areas for casual entertaining.
Why it feels good
The apartment’s charm emerges from a creative conversation between history and personality. Classic 1920s architectural elements set a timeless framework, but the interiors are far from a straightforward period reproduction. Instead, rich color plays a starring role, from caramel-hued walls and lush velvet in the bedroom to green-marble bathroom tones inspired by art. These carefully curated layers create warmth and comfort, making the home feel both elegant and approachable.
Natural light ties the whole scheme together, enhancing the saturated greens, ambers, and browns in the rooms and reflecting off high-quality materials like marble and polished metalwork. The client’s impressive art collection also guided the palette and mood, especially a post-cubist painting that inspired hues in the dining area. The result is a space that feels confident, tailored, and displayed with a touch of whimsy, tailored precisely to the family’s lifestyle.
What to enjoy or watch next
Those fascinated by vintage-inspired city homes with a modern twist will appreciate seeing how period architecture can inspire contemporary interior design that feels fresh yet respectful of its origins. This pied-à-terre sets an inviting example for anyone wanting to blend history and playfulness in a small urban setting.
For further inspiration, following Merritt Amanti’s design projects reveals a talented approach to creating harmonized spaces across diverse locations—from country houses to vacation homes—each reflecting the client’s personality through thoughtful material and color choices. This project particularly highlights how art can beautifully inform a design’s palette and atmosphere, encouraging homeowners to consider their own collections when imagining new interiors.