Eva Bradley is the principal and founder of San Francisco-based interior design firm Studio Heimat. The Swiss-born designer and her husband, artist Cory Bradley, were looking for a new home for their growing family when they came across a hillside house in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighbourhood.
From the street, the unassuming Victorian house appears to have a small footprint, but on entering, its four levels of living space gradually reveal themselves, while generous windows showcase captivating views of the city that serve as an ever-changing backdrop to family life.
The couple worked with architect Diego Pacheco to sensitively reconfigure the historic building’s internal spaces, introducing a Scandinavian-style, minimalist concept with crisp, clean lines, designed to take full advantage of the views at the rear of the property.
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Now, the front door opens onto an open-plan kitchen, with an island where cosy stools provide the perfect spot for the couple’s two children, Brooklyn (5) and Apollo (3) to have breakfast. Following on from the kitchen is the dining area, with a compact powder room leading off it. A couple of steps down brings you to the family’s living room, with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors opening onto a deck which overlooks the city.
‘In this unique building, juxtaposing a modern interior architecture with an original Victorian façade presented a fascinating challenge’ says Eva. ‘My love for the history of San Francisco homes drove me to find a way to honour both styles, rather than allowing them to stand as disconnected entities.’
Eva set about offsetting the sharp angles of the architecture with curves, organic shapes in the furniture, and warm, nature-inspired colours. In this way she created a harmonious blend that allows the historical character to resonate within the contemporary design.
‘It felt like a restoration of what was missing, a connection between the past and the present, reflecting the multifaceted beauty that is so characteristic of the city’s architectural heritage’ she says.
‘When we first bought the home, it was a monochrome blank canvas, with stark interiors offset by captivating views’ she explains, adding ‘Since my husband and I are both creatives, we have infused the space with art, colour, and personalised touches.’
Her favourite space is the semi-sunken living room: ‘I love the high ceilings and large panoramic windows that bring the “outside in” by way of the striking views of the San Francisco hills. I also love that the space has an open concept, connecting to the dining room and the kitchen space - ideal for a family of five, that includes our two small children and our dog, Cashus.’
Family life permeates every aspect of the interiors, with collage walls and a collection of unique portraits decorating the hallways. These personal touches infuse the clean, contemporary architecture and modern design with a palpable warmth.
On the upper level is the couple’s bedroom and bathroom, plus the kids’ room and bathroom. Cory’s studio is also upstairs; packed with personality it really tells the story of who he is as an artist.
Cory’s art hangs on many of the walls throughout the house. One particularly special project is a digitally drawn mural of Switzerland and Big Sur that Eva turned into a wallpaper for the boys’ shared bedroom (above). The fact that Brooklyn and Apollo wake up every morning to one of Cory’s designs speaks volumes of what’s important in this home: family and creativity.
As Eva says, ‘Designing a home that fits the needs of the people living in it is one of my biggest goals as a designer, so achieving this in my own home was deeply satisfying.’ studioheimat.com
