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San Francisco House Calls

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A spirited midcentury ranch returns to its roots

The Bay Area home’s restoration mixes original elements with features suited for the future

Inside our favorite Bay Area homes

The best House Calls showcase the storied dwellings—and lives—of our neighbors.

Inside a California couple’s DIY Eichler renovation

A California couple transforms an ailing Eichler house to make their midcentury modern fantasies a reality.

How an interior designer turned an Oakland one-bedroom into two

Interior designer Justina White had to compromise on size in her Oakland, California home—she shares a one-bedroom with her daughter—but that was no excuse to give style a short shrift.

A midcentury kit house becomes weekend getaway for two families

In Stinson Beach, California, a revived 1958 kit house is a co-owned weekend retreat for two families.

A hilltop midcentury modern time capsule gets a sensitive remodel in Berkeley

"[Fischer Architecture] wanted to be reverent and respectful to what the home was, bring it up to date, and make it my home."

Classic midcentury modern home dazzles after careful remodel

This Sacramento midcentury gem had fabulous bones, which were updated and polished for how people live today.

A pair of architects create a home for their grand collection

A husband-and-wife architect team has created a museum-like home to house their collection.

Russian Hill home brings together a couple’s eclectic tastes

A designer and her husband make their first home together in San Francisco.

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An artist finds a home, and community, in a Mission District Victorian

We go inside the charming Mission District home of illustrator, artist, and animator Christian Robinson. Five years ago, Robinson went looking for a room to rent, and he found a community, too.

A Mission Victorian is a home and art studio

Windy Chien carves out space for comfort and creativity.

Inside an artist’s maximalist Castro apartment

Leafy flat in the heart of the queer district features a built-in aviary and found objects.

The dream house next door

Although Tina and Jochen Frey had committed to a house, they kept looking longingly at the neighbor’s dwelling. It made no sense to abandon their remodel plans and move next door—or did it?

How to squeeze into a micro-size studio? Sleep in the closet

How a crafty vintage curator turned her tiny Hayes Valley apartment into a junior one bedroom.

A traditionalist learns to love an Eichler

LeeAnn Manon never considered herself a modernist, let alone an Eichler fan, but it was love at first sight when she found this San Rafael home.

A San Francisco Victorian is reborn—after 26 years of remodeling

After purchasing a neglected Victorian in a San Francisco neighborhood, a couple spends two decades turning what looked like a "haunted house" into a heartfelt family home.

7 tips on how to be a great host

With three social groups to his name, artist and art director George McCalman might be one of San Francisco’s most active hosts. Here, he shares his best advice for hosting winning dinner parties.

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Inside an art director's eclectic sanctuary—and festive dinner parties

The San Francisco designer creates a space for relaxation and gathering in an Edwardian house.

Bohemian artist's home details his life, loved ones, and design philosophy

"As San Francisco becomes blander, we old-timers have a responsibility to be weirder," John Vlahides, a travel writer and San Francisco Symphony Chorus member, explained as he looked out the window of his 1920s studio nestled in the Castro.

Call for submissions: We want to see your holiday decorations

Can your holiday decorations be seen from outer space? If so, we want to know you and your house! As a special edition of our House Calls series, we’re looking for a home that’s been made extra festive for the holidays this year. And we’re not talking just a tasteful string of white lights.

Bernal Heights family turns north slope Edwardian into a contemporary oasis

SF developer Lucas Eastwood, founder of Eastwood Development, and Alisha Eastwood, a psychotherapist, took their dreams one step further by reconfiguring a turn of the century Edwardian into a contemporary sanctuary for their family.

Tour a dazzling Eichler time capsule

This week, we take you inside a design unicorn: An Eichler home in Palo Alto, California, that’s been nearly unaltered since the day it was finished in 1952.

Call for submissions! See your home featured on Curbed

Effective immediately, we're looking for volunteers with offbeat, curious, or just refreshingly cozy dwellings to invite us into their homes for a tour and a photo shoot. (Unique decor and wild collections a plus!)

Roommates share eclectic style in an Oakland live/work loft

Ben Lewis, Nicholas Albrecht, and Allie-Brooke Shelby like the sense of community in sharing a live/work loft in Oakland. They've decorated it with a delightful mishmash of midcentury and contemporary furniture.

An Oakland musician makes her home sing

Zena Carlota’s powerfully evocative music reflects the meaningful way she has assembled her personal surroundings.

Shelf Life: a Succulent Existence in Bernal Heights

For Ken and Amy Shelf, there is very little separation between work and life. They operate one of San Francisco's most inspirational plant stores, and they bring their work home with them. Check out their succulent-filled and character-rich cottage.

The Westerfeld House: SF’s most storied Victorian

When Jim Siegel was a teenager, a plan for how he would one day acquire his dream house came to him during an LSD trip. He shares its storied history.

Joyce Maynard's Compound Life

When the author married, she decided to make a fresh start. She and her husband Jim Barringer brought two households, two extremely different tastes, and two sets of very specific needs to the table. They combined it all under one "funky" roof.

A Look Inside the Penthouse at the Lighthouse

Once this building was the Second Church of Christ Scientist. A developer converted it to high-end townhouses — including a jaw-dropping penthouse he reserved for himself. For the first time, he lets the public inside.

Living the Artistic Life on Russian Hill

In advance of a special event, go behind the scenes at a collector's home

A Civic Center Condo that's Dedicated to Music

Paul Hogarth throws epic sing-a-longs in a small space

A Mission District Victorian is a Home and Art Studio

Windy Chien carves out space for comfort and creativity

Pacific Heights Home Mixes Elegance, Playfulness, and Color

Life and Art Meld in a Berkeley Home and Gallery

A Ranch House is Reborn in Oakland's Montclair District

Failing to Find a Home, a Family Builds an Instant Dream House

Failing to Find a Home, a Family Builds an Instant Dream House

For Home Decor, This Lifestyle Guru Keeps It Easy Peasy

A Pair of Architects Create a Home for their Grand Collection