Designing for San Francisco Light

San Francisco light is its own thing. Mornings arrive soft and grey under the fog, then the sun breaks through and everything turns golden. A room that looks perfect in July at three in the afternoon can feel cold at nine in the morning in June. Designing here means designing for both.

After many years of working in homes across the city, from the Richmond to Noe Valley and from Glen Park to Russian Hill, and just across the bridge in Marin, here's what the light has taught me.

Choose colours that hold warmth

Cool greys and stark whites can feel chilly under the fog. I lean towards whites with a little warmth in them, soft putty and fog tones, and deep colours that glow rather than go flat: olive, ink blue, forest green. In an Inner Richmond Edwardian, we kept the palette hushed, the soft grey of a San Francisco morning, and let brushed brass bring the glow.

Richmond Ink & Oak

Celebrate the bay window

So many San Francisco homes have one, and it's the best seat in the house. Treat it as a destination: a reading chair, a window seat, a desk with a view. Light window treatments, like linen Roman shades or sheer curtains, let in every bit of daylight on grey days.

Inner Richmond Fog & Brass

Layer your lighting

With fog rolling in by late afternoon, good lighting matters more here than almost anywhere. I plan three layers in every room: soft overall light, task light where you read and work, and warm accent light from lamps, sconces and picture lights. Warm bulbs, always.

West Portal Hideaway

Let the light find your treasures

The pieces you love deserve to be seen. A sculpture on a sunny sill, a collection on a softly lit shelf, a favourite painting where the afternoon light lands: placing your treasures with the light in mind makes a room come alive at every hour.

Richmond Ink & Oak

Bring the outside in

Even in a dense city, there's green to borrow: a tree outside the window, a garden at the back. Echo it inside with natural materials and plants, so the room feels connected to the world beyond the glass. In Noe Valley, where light pours in from every side, we did exactly that, with travertine, river stone and an indoor pebble garden beneath the stair.

Noe Valley Stone & Grain

Honour the architecture

Victorians, Edwardians, mid-century homes and new builds all have their own character. I like to keep the original details, such as mouldings, tile and old wood, and let modern pieces sit beside them with respect.

Glen Park Velvet & Ember

If you're planning a project in San Francisco, Marin or anywhere in the Bay Area, I'd love to see your space and the light it lives in. Let's talk.