Project Reveal: West Portal Charm Meets Modern Mood

Where rich wood tones meet modern ease in a timeless San Francisco home.

If you know us, you know we love a good old San Francisco home - and this late 1930s French Provincial Revival in West Portal totally stole our hearts (again).

We had the absolute pleasure of working with these amazing clients for the second time. This time, their ask was clear: Give us a kitchen and dining space that feels open, warm, and perfect for entertaining. And of course… make it stunning.

So, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work, teaming up with the dream crew: MW Design on architecture, Carroll Construction on the build, Michele Lee Wilson and The Crisp Look behind the camera, who captured it all beautifully.

The Vision

This home had great bones, arched doorways, beautiful windows, and that classic, old-school San Francisco charm. But the kitchen? Not so much. It felt closed off, dated, and didn’t flow with how our clients lived (read: lots of friends, lots of food, lots of good energy).

Our goal was to honor the soul of the house while giving it a fresh, modern point of view. Think: classic meets laid-back with bold materials and subtle drama.

The Color Palette

Rendering are such a helpful tool for clients to see how all the materials, finishes, and proportions will come together before construction begins. But here’s the thing about renderings: they're never quite as beautiful as the real thing.

While they’re amazing for clarity and decision-making, nothing compares to the way natural light hits the wood grain in person, or how the soft curve of a light fixture feels when you're actually standing in the space. That’s the magic of design - it always exceeds what we can put on paper.

Rich wood tones meet modern ease in a timeless San Francisco home.

The Design

We started with a rich, moody palette grounded in walnut and red oak cabinetry. The tone-on-tone wood gave us that warm, cozy feeling but still felt elevated and architectural.

The quartzite Taj Mahal stone backsplash and countertops brought in a gorgeous natural movement - just enough pattern to keep things interesting without overpowering the room. It adds this beautiful softness that balances out all the wood tones.

Our clients love blue, but they wanted it to feel subtle - not loud or overpowering. So we brought it in with intention, choosing the most perfect smoky ombre glass pendants from Niche Modern to hang over the island. They’re soft, sculptural, and just moody enough - adding that hint of color while giving a gentle nod to the home's vintage roots.

And yes, we gave the barstools their moment - Contour Stools from Design Within Reach, chosen not just for their clean, modern lines but also for their mindful materials. Our clients are vegan, so we selected the Pebble Weave fabric for the seats - a soft, durable textile with timeless texture that adds warmth without compromising their values.

Set against the walnut frames, the stools strike just the right balance between refined and relaxed.

We designed two symmetrical full-height towers - one housing the refrigerator, the other acting as a beautifully functional coffee and appliance station. Inside, there’s space for their espresso machine, mugs, and everyday glassware - all tucked away, but still super accessible.

And let’s talk about the coffee station, because it turned into one of our favorite design moments.

Our clients didn’t need a ton of upper cabinetry - since we were already packing in plenty of storage below, and their kids are grown and out of the house. So instead of filling the walls with uppers, we opted for a cleaner, more intentional layout.

We designed two symmetrical full-height towers - one housing the refrigerator, the other acting as a beautifully functional coffee and small-appliance station. Inside, there’s space for their coffee machine, mugs, and everyday glassware - all tucked away, but still super accessible.

This layout gave us visual balance on the stove wall and kept the kitchen feeling open, airy, and uncluttered. It’s one of those details that feels effortless, but makes a big impact on how the space functions day to day.

Lighting!

And we can’t talk about design without talking about lighting. It’s truly one of the most important layers in any interior - it adds sparkle, depth, and warmth. It’s how you move a space from flat to full of feeling.

For the dining area, we didn’t want a typical pendant over the table. They envisioned flexible seating - sometimes two, sometimes a full crowd, so we needed lighting that could adapt. We chose swiveling Grain Pendant Sconces from Ravenhill Studio, which can be angled to light the full table when extended. Smart, sculptural, and just enough drama.

Along the stove wall, we wanted something that added interest without breaking the mood. That wall was long and clean, so we layered in a bit of warmth and texture with Lostine’s Edmund Wall Sconces, featuring walnut detailing that echoed the cabinetry and tied everything together.

And for the cozy window bench nook, we wanted a surface-mounted light that was visually quiet but still sculptural. The Worley’s Concord Triple Flush Mount, with its soft lines and walnut canopy, was just right- thoughtful, subtle, and beautifully in tune with the space.

Over the island, we hung three smoky globe pendants that glow just right and give a subtle nod to the home’s vintage vibe without feeling too themed.

We chose swiveling Grain Pendant Sconces from Ravenhill Studio, which can be angled to light the full table when extended. Smart, sculptural, and just enough drama.

The Details That Matter

One of our favorite spots in the kitchen? That sweet little window bench nook off to the side. It gets the best light, it’s perfect for morning coffee, and it creates this effortless transition between cooking and lounging.

We kept the range hood clean and sculptural, added brass hardware for warmth, and laid the oak floors in a basketweave pattern to give everything that old-world feel—but fresher.

The layout changed drastically, the way the space feels is a complete 180. It flows. It breathes. It lives exactly how our clients wanted it to.

And yes, we gave the barstools their moment - Contour Stools from Design Within Reach, chosen not just for their clean, modern lines but also for their mindful materials.

This project was about trust, collaboration, and a shared love of homes with history. We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out - and neither could our clients.

So here’s to timeless materials, thoughtful updates, and spaces that make you want to linger just a little longer.

xx Paulina