Potrero Hill Duplex

Wedged between two tall Edwardians on Potrero Hill, this single-family home was converted into a duplex. Commissioned by an interior designer to accommodate her growing family, it also gave opportunity to add an additional family-sized unit in this dense neighborhood.

The result is a new, four-story, two-unit home. The original two-story building form was gutted and modernized, the uppermost level set back, and the single entrance kept intact masking the duplex conversion. Each unit is accessed via the common hallway with the upper unit serviced by an elevator. Both units are approximately 2,000 square feet and feature a bedroom-level and an open great room floor, with the lower unit having a surprising one-and-a-half story garden view.

The upper unit is a reverse plan with the great room located on the top floor, bookended by decks that afford City and Bay views. This floor is punctuated with a yellow box that cleverly contains the service core while providing a natural separation between dining and living spaces. The downstairs accommodates the 3-bedrooms and study. And oak-framed windows, along with a carefully curated collection of vintage Italian and California Craft furniture, amongst contemporary pieces, conveys a unique California Modernism vibe. Inspired by Frank Stella, the main staircase snakes its way from the penthouse, manifesting itself as sculptural arc in the lower unit.

The curve repeats itself at the entrance, which is clad in shou sugi ban and white cement plaster, culminating in a yellow front door that creates a visual connection from the exterior through to the interior.

Images shown: Lower Duplex