4 min read
Interior designer Noz Nozawa isn’t afraid to give the color wheel a good spin. When a couple after her own heart tapped her to decorate their Victorian residence in San Francisco’s historic Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, Nozawa knew she was in for a fun ride. “I could tell this was a special place right away,” says the principal of local Noz Design. “The house had clearly been well-loved and cared for, but there were a few changes that needed to be made in order to make it work for a young couple.” And given that Victorian homes are well-known for their bold color schemes, the designer felt free to experiment. “I thought about what a decorator from that time might do today,” says Nozawa.
Exuberant colors and lively patterns greet visitors as soon as they step through the front door. Rosy-pink walls envelope the open living and dining areas; overhead, vibrant 18th-century-inspired botanicals bloom across the ceiling. “There was a bit of an awkward cove ceiling condition, so we added a second level of crown molding above the original one to contain the wallpaper,” says Nozawa.
To give the couple storage for entertaining essentials in the dining room, she designed a pair of shapely built-in cabinets that were “inspired by the wardrobe character in Beauty and the Beast.We painted them in two shades of blue that complement the wallpaper.” The dining chairs’ mesh backs are echoed in the caning details of the counter stools in the adjacent kitchen, which sits at the rear of the house. “The kitchen had been renovated not too long ago, so we made only minor cosmetic changes,” says Nozawa. She replaced the stainless steel countertops and backsplash with a taupe stone surface and handmade Moroccan-inspired tiles, while warm metallics—from the lantern-like pendants to the sink fixture—dress up the space’s darker tones.
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Nozawa continued the bold scheme upstairs. To wit: a sage green line-art mural by local decorative artist Caroline Lizarraga enlivens the primary bedroom and adjoining reading nook. “It connects the two spaces and feels so happy and effortless,” says Nozawa. Meanwhile, in the office, fantastical florals inspired by an 1880s print blossom across the cerulean wallpaper. The designer calls this room “arguably the most Victorian-inspired in the house,” noting the client’s grandparents’ antique bergère chair and original tile portraits adorning the fireplace. Behind the desk, a Murphy bed unfolds for guests.
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The wife’s office didn’t stay hers for long, as the family welcomed a baby shortly after Nozawa completed the project. “We had prepared for the possibility that this office would transition into a nursery one day,” says Nozawa, who wrapped the room in a periwinkle forest mural and chose a colorful midcentury-modern chandelier to descend from the ceiling medallion. The designer carried the color story all the way up to the attic, where a rainbow-patterned rug electrifies the aubergine media room. “This is where the family watches movies or plays games,” says Nozawa. “The games table positioned underneath the turret is a really fun moment.”
Throughout the residence, Nozawa combined new and vintage furnishings with some of the homeowners’ own pieces. “The wife has artists in her family, so all of the artwork in the home is either courtesy of them or beloved items the couple has collected over the years,” she says. “This house truly feels like them. It was a thrill to use the full color spectrum to bring it to life.”
Foyer
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Artwork by the wife’s family members shines atop a wallcovering made from recycled newspapers (Weitzner). Nozawa designed a custom armoire and bench for storing coats and shoes.
Living Room
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Soft pink walls (painted Benjamin Moore’s Wild Aster) ground the living room’s vibrant colors, like the violet Jan Kath rug; a mix of vintage, antique, and contemporary furniture; and bold patterns. The wallpaper on the ceiling is by Pierre Frey. Curtains, Anthropologie.
Dining Room
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Nozawa designed a pair of built-in cabinets for entertaining essentials and painted them complementary blue hues (Benjamin Moore’s Wedgewood Gray and Hemlock). The House of Hackney tiger rug and the cabinetry’s tiger hardware nod to the homeowners’ love of cats. Chandelier, Luke Lamp Co.
Kitchen
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The kitchen needed only a cosmetic renovation. Nozawa replaced the commercial stainless steel countertops and backsplash with a warm Caesarstone surface and Moroccan-inspired tiles by Fireclay Tile. Sink fixture, Brizo.
Primary Bedroom
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Decorative artist Caroline Lizarraga painted a line-art mural that runs from the bedroom into the adjoining reading nook. Chandelier, Visual Comfort & Co.
Reading Nook
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A cozy built-in reading nook is tucked beside the primary bedroom. The playful footed ottoman is by Los Angeles-based Martin & Brockett.
Office
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A Victorian-era bergère passed down from the homeowner’s grandparents nods to the house’s history, as do the original tile portraits (“Whom we believe were the home’s original daughters,” says Nozawa) surrounding the fireplace. Wallpaper, House of Hackney.
Nursery
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Nozawa selected a scheme that could transition from the wife’s office to a nursery. The mural wallcovering is by Rebel Walls, the painterly rug is by Rag, and the retro chandelier is by Sazerac Stitches.
Media Room
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On the attic level, Nozawa designed a groovy viewing room for the movie-buff homeowners. A wavy rainbow-hued rug (Pieces) pops against the aubergine walls (painted Benjamin Moore’s Black Raspberry).
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A green Currey & Company chandelier descends from the turret, illuminating the game table below.