A San Francisco Penthouse That Pays Reverence to Art Deco Icons

The popularity of historic design styles naturally ebbs and flows, but some are so impactful and well-loved that they never really go away. Art Deco has remained a powerful player in shaping spaces and objects for a century now, its strict, layered geometries, stylized flourishes, and heavy volumes all continually cropping up in design. Today, the movement is having a particularly noticeable renaissance, particularly in interiors, albeit less in a pastiche way and more through formal nods — the space featured here being no exception. When it came to renovating a penthouse in a 1927 Art Deco building in San Francisco, local firm Studio Ahead leaned heavily into the era’s primary colors and shapes, while adding contemporary touches to keep the space relaxed and “forward-thinking.”

Renovated for entrepreneur Lara Cumberland, the 15th-floor penthouse in Nob Hill enjoys panoramic views over the city and across to Marin, Berkeley, Oakland, and the Bay — including the Golden Gate Bridge, renowned for its own Art Deco details. Its living and dining rooms are decorated in the blues, blacks, and silvers typical of the 1920s, offset by bright yellow artworks and accessories. Anchoring the lounge area is a vintage mirrored console that’s paired with a custom bar mirror by SF’s Paige Glass Company. A black area rug with a light trim traces the shape of the room and features chevron corners that nod to the Chrysler Building, the poster child for Art Deco, while the pyramidal base of the dining room table is modeled after the Transamerica Building that can be spied out the window. 

Other notable pieces in the social areas include an undulated daybed by Anne-Mette Jensen and Morten Ernst for Erik Jorgensen, its wavy form reminiscent of San Francisco’s topography, and a playful Gae Aulenti coffee table. In the primary bedroom, dark tones are replaced with white, silver, and pearl, and the living room rug colors are reversed. The bed is shrouded by curtains and flanked by Jeffrey Cheung paintings, while metal pieces by Paul Mathieu add contrast. More drapery lines the all-black media room, where Cumberland enjoys movie nights with her son, but can be drawn back to reveal artworks from local galleries — a common theme throughout the penthouse, which honors its immediate and wider context perfectly.