John Lum Architecture
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johnlumarch

Boutique San Francisco architecture and design firm. 🏡Architecture with Intention🏘 johnlumarchitecture.com

Repost from @amandateal Built-in banquette seatin Repost from @amandateal

Built-in banquette seating and generous natural light—the best gathering spot in the house.

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @amandateal
Photography: @johnmerkl
#TT Going through the archives. Check out this ico #TT Going through the archives. Check out this iconic display we designed for Blake Kuwahara Eyewear | @blakekuwahara to showcase the brand’s elevated aesthetic.

This installation highlights our penchant for transforming mundane materials — like simple cardboard — into functional art.
Interior architecture goes beyond spatial planning Interior architecture goes beyond spatial planning, room layouts, windows, and doors. It’s about designing the entire interior framework of a space. For many of our clients, this means integrating their art collections directly into the architecture through thoughtful placement — including elements like a picture ledge that lets the display evolve over time.

Check out Homes & Gardens | @homesandgardensofficial to see how the picture ledge is redefining the traditional gallery wall and how we incorporated it to help our clients display their artwork.

https://shorturl.at/BhMZS

Founding Principal John Lum, AIA of John Lum Architecture, explains, ‘ The addition of the third floor gave the clients a new primary suite and sweeping views of the Marin Headlands from their family room. To accommodate their growing collection of blue-chip photography, which includes Diane Arbus and Walker Evans, we proposed a picture ledge that lets them rearrange their display with ease. The steel ledge holds various image sizes with the benefit of not having to install hangers, and it gives the client flexibility to showcase pieces, versus a static display system.’

John’s in good company. @annacarindesign, @jhinteriordesign and @arentpykestudio also share how they use picture ledges.

#PictureLedge
We’re excited to share the UC Berkeley Eyewear Ret We’re excited to share the UC Berkeley Eyewear Retail Center 👓 is under construction. 

Part of the new UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry, this space bridges academic learning with real-world retail experience. Designed as a family care practice, the center balances durability with playful elements, while maintaining a strong healthcare focus.

Client: @ucberkeleyofficial
Architect of Record: @tefdesign_sf
Design Architect: @johnlumarch
Recently completed. Details coming soon! Architec Recently completed. Details coming soon!

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Photography: David Eichler Photography
Behind a charred shou sugi ban door, a saturated r Behind a charred shou sugi ban door, a saturated red powder room is revealed. 

Swipe right.

The transition is intentional: compressed and moody at the threshold, vibrant and immersive inside.
Repost from @nicolehollis A study in restraint an Repost from @nicolehollis

A study in restraint and material clarity, this Sausalito residence balances calm, continuous surfaces with sculptural moments throughout the home. White oak, plaster, and charred timber create a muted palette that frames the surrounding views, while custom elements bring depth and precision. Each room reflects a commitment to removing the unnecessary, revealing a home shaped by light, texture, and quiet intention.

Interiors @nicolehollis
Architecture @johnlumarch⁠
Photography @douglasfriedman
Repost from @amandateal Warm wood and gentle curv Repost from @amandateal

Warm wood and gentle curves bring softness to this San Francisco family home. 

Photography: @johnmerkl
Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @amandateal
Our focus on private medical practices continues t Our focus on private medical practices continues to expand. The newly completed McGann Oral Surgery Center marks a bold next chapter for us. 

Reflecting a broader shift in healthcare toward residentially-inspired, patient-centric environments, the renovated 3,200-sf mid-century structure in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood reopened as a standalone facility in Summer 2025 following a complete spatial reconfiguration. Addressing the anxiety often associated with dental surgery, we fused Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian modernism, and plenty of natural light (even the surgery rooms are day lit) to create a calm setting for the patients and practitioners.

Featured in: @hcdmagazine

Take the tour: https://tinyurl.com/4tte5447

Architect: @johnlumarch
Client: #mcgannoralsurgery
General Contractor:  #SKConstruction
Structural Engineer: @ashleyvanceengineering
Title 24: #WadeEnergy
Lighting Designer: #DavidScottLighting
Interior Designer: #GoliMaleki
Medical Equipment Specialist: @hscheindental
Photographer: @dyerphoto
Check out this multi-generational home we designed Check out this multi-generational home we designed.

When the family set out to rebuild their Palo Alto home, FEMA flood-zone regulations required a complete rethinking of the design, including raising the finished floor four feet and demolishing the existing single-story structure. What began as a constraint became an opportunity to better support the family’s needs, with three bedrooms on the second floor and a ground-floor suite for the grandparents to stay for extended periods.

Referencing the former Eichler-inspired house, the new design features glass walls and expressed structure that reinterpret midcentury principles through a contemporary lens. The great room opens directly to the garden and a raised terrace, extending daily living outdoors. Wraparound planters and tiered stairs soften the change in elevation, allowing the home to integrate seamlessly with its neighborhood.

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Photography: @adamrousephoto
Profiled in: @aiasf #AIASMGP
Under construction! Our affordable housing project Under construction! Our affordable housing project in Bolinas with @bolinascommunitylandtrust and Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco | @habitatforhumanity is underway.

Learn more about this neighborhood project:

https://tinyurl.com/ywyfjktc
As 2026 gets underway, we’re excited to share what As 2026 gets underway, we’re excited to share what’s happening in our studio, reflecting on a year of meaningful work while looking ahead to what’s next.

Check out our newsletter:

https://shorturl.at/qjWah

Looking forward to a year filled with creativity, impact, and continued partnerships.

— John, Bret & Khoan

If you want to subscribe to our mailing list, DM us.

Photo shown:
Architect: @johnlumarch
Client: mcgannoralsurgery
General Contractor:  #SKConstruction
Structural Engineer: @ashleyvanceengineering
Title 24: #WadeEnergy
Lighting Designer: #DavidScottLighting
Interior Designer: #GoliMaleki
Medical Equipment Specialist: @hscheindental
Photographer: @dyerphoto
Repost from @nicolehollis In Sausalito, Exclamati Repost from @nicolehollis

In Sausalito, Exclamation Point in yellow plastic bristles and latex by Richard Artschwager⁠ stands subtly beneath the finished wooden stairs.

Interior @nicolehollis
Architecture @johnlumarch
⁠Art by Richard Artschwager⁠
Photography @douglasfriedman
Repost from @plain_mag @johnlumarch and interior Repost from @plain_mag

@johnlumarch and interior designer @tineketriggs turned a cramped Potrero Hill house in San Francisco into a three-story modern home with a dramatic roof deck accessed through a sliding skylight. Its owner, an attorney, found the perfect spot for her home—on the hill where she grew up, with sweeping downtown views and East Bay panoramas—but the home itself lacked space, light, and orientation toward the winning views. Link in bio for the full feature.⁠
⁠
📸: @adamrousephoto
A dialogue between shapes and texture: the cylindr A dialogue between shapes and texture: the cylindrical sink contrasts with the rectangular geometry of the mirror, while the slatted wall introduces rhythm and tactility, creating an interplay of form and materiality.

Design Architect @johnlumarch 
Architect of Record #SchaubLiArchitects
Interior Design @studiojyo
Realtor @wendystorchrealtor
Photos @context.visuals
Repost from @arterralandscapearchitects A blue sk Repost from @arterralandscapearchitects

A blue sky site visit to kick off mastering planning with @johnlumarch in Orinda. Great way to start the year!

#arterrateam #arterraonsite#siteanalysis #collaboration
Staircase Surprise! We recently completed this sin Staircase Surprise! We recently completed this single family home in Hillsborough. More details coming soon. 

📷: @eichlerphoto

#StaircaseDesign #Hillsborough
To maximize the floor plan, we anchored this great To maximize the floor plan, we anchored this great room with a bold yellow service core that divides dining and living in striking California Modernist style.

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @formandfield led by @_christine_lin
Photography: @marikoreed

#CaliforniaModernism
Photo tour of McGann Oral Surgery in San Diego wit Photo tour of McGann Oral Surgery in San Diego with Healthcare Design magazine | @hcdmagazine

We reimagined this 3,200-sf mid-century building as a calm, modern home for oral surgical care — where Japanese minimalism meets Scandinavian modernism. Clean lines, natural materials, and a patient-centered experience throughout.

Architect: @johnlumarch
Client: #mcgannoralsurgery
General Contractor:  #SKConstruction
Structural Engineer: @ashleyvanceengineering
Title 24: #WadeEnergy
Lighting Designer: #DavidScottLighting
Interior Designer: #GoliMaleki
Medical Equipment Specialist: @hscheindental
Photographer: @dyerphoto

https://shorturl.at/YOEoJ
Skylight Surprise! 📷: #ArrowoodPhotography #Sky Skylight Surprise! 

📷: #ArrowoodPhotography

#Skylights
Monochrome geometry define this striking black & w Monochrome geometry define this striking black & white facade. 

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @formandfield led by @_christine_lin
Photography: @marikoreed

#BlackAndWhite
Our office is part architecture studio, part hands Our office is part architecture studio, part hands-on workshop. 

We crafted this custom toilet paper holder from 42 steel pipe ends, transforming the most mundane material into an ever-changing display. It not only reflects our design rigor but also embraces the playful spirit we bring to every project.

📷: @ericrorerphoto

#Work #Play
Ending the year with a moment of calm. A study in Ending the year with a moment of calm.

A study in restrained Japanese influence, we drew inspiration from a modern onsen to design this master bath. White penny tiles evoke the tactility of river stones, grounding the Ofuro soaking tub and open shower in a serene palette.

#bathroomdesign #onsen #ofuro
Simplicity. Architecture: @johnlumarch Interior Simplicity. 

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @TinekeTriggs
Photography: @AdamRousePhoto

#DesignCollab #happyholidays
We reimagined this first floor as one dramatic ent We reimagined this first floor as one dramatic entertainment space, complete with an orange backlit wet bar and folding window wall.

#interiorarchitecture #wetbar #orangeinteriors
Take a peek inside this recently sold home. Desig Take a peek inside this recently sold home.

Design Architect @johnlumarch
Architect of Record #SchaubLiArchitects
Interior Design @studiojyo
Realtor @wendystorchrealtor
Photos @context.visuals

#designcollaboration
#ThrowbackThursday to our design for The Barber Lo #ThrowbackThursday to our design for The Barber Lounge — a 5,000-sf interior build-out reinterpreting the classic barbershop through deliberate spatial sequencing and crafted vignettes.

Each program zone — barber lounge (pictured), pedicure alcove, and treatment suites — offers its own material language, from restored 50’s chairs to wood paneling and color-blocked volumes. 📸: @sharonrisedorph 

#TT #barbershop #barberlounge
Recently sold! Stay-tuned for more exciting collab Recently sold! Stay-tuned for more exciting collaborations from this team.

Design Architect @johnlumarch
Architect of Record #SchaubLiArchitects
Interior Design @studiojyo
Realtor @wendystorchrealtor
Photos @context.visuals

View the listing: www.luminousmodern.com
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