Spaces Magazine

05/22/2026

A verdant outdoor oasis in the Terra Linda neighborhood of San Rafael, Boris and Sydney Chen’s garden is lushly planted with more than 500 edible and ornamental plants and fruit trees. Boris, a hobbyist woodworker who works in the professional services industry, and Sydney, an ICU nurse and former professional horticulturist, undertook much of the property’s transformation themselves after moving to San Rafael from San Francisco a few years ago.

Check out the transformation here: https://spacesmag.com/stories/homes/garden-of-plenty-an-ornamental-oasis-in-san-rafael/

✍️ Lotus Abrams

📷 Monica May & Mark Romero

🌳 Landscape architect: Steph Kawachi

🧰 Landscape construction: Gary Torney Landscaping Co.

05/21/2026

Last week, we gathered some of the Bay Area’s leading voices in home, design and architecture for an unforgettable night at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase. This extraordinary Queen Anne-style Victorian home was the perfect backdrop for our celebration of design, making the event even more inspiring.

To kick off the evening, Nikki Wood, Publisher of SPACES Magazine, and Kate Magilligan, Wealth Management Advisor of Northern Trust, welcomed guests and spoke about the showcase’s greater mission: to support financial aid scholarships at San Francisco University High School.

A special thank you to our presenting host, Northern Trust, and our co-hosts Julie Dalton Design and Sonoma’s Auteur Wines for making all this possible.

And thank you to everyone who joined us for SPACES Magazine’s first Decorator Showcase celebration. We’re already looking forward to what 2027 will bring!

Read the full event recap here: https://spacesmag.com/scene/spaces-magazine-celebrates-the-bay-area-design-community/

📷 Photos by Matt Spinetta, Prismic Photography

05/06/2026

Newly opened in Palo Alto, Bar Underdog was founded by Master Sommelier Dennis Kelly and chef Anthony Secviar, who met at The French Laundry and later opened the Michelin-starred Protégé across the street. Despite their prestigious reputations, however, Kelly and Secviar intended Bar Underdog to be the kind of convivial neighborhood spot where locals feel comfortable dropping in anytime for a craft cocktail like the No. 34, made with gin, lacto-fermented strawberry, genmaicha and yuzu, and a modestly priced bar snack, like the Korean corn-cheese puffs with smoked mozzarella and pickled jalapeño or the tuna tartare with plum miso, avocado and sweet onion “chips.”

The inviting space was designed by Studio KDA featuring a material palette that merges Japanese influence and Bay Area warmth, framed portraits of iconic pop-culture “underdogs,” and a hand-painted entry mural. Fitting the casual vibe, there are no reservations taken, and a late-night “moonlight menu” is designed to welcome the area’s hospitality workers.

📍299 California Ave, #110, Palo Alto

✍️ Lotus Abrams

📷 Kristen Loken

Court of Master Sommeliers

04/28/2026

The team behind Lazy Bear recently opened French restaurant JouJou — a glamorous addition to San Francisco’s Design District dining scene. Guests at the new hotspot, designed by Jon de la Cruz of DLC-ID and Liebes Architects, can dine on decadent seafood towers and brasserie classics like escargot toast and petrale sole meunière in elegant environs that channel the French Riviera in the 1970s.

The upstairs dining room is embellished with a burgundy-veined marble oyster counter, Art Nouveau-inspired palm-frond wallpaper, vintage green dining chairs and tufted banquettes, while the lower dining room and wine cellar feature intimate booth seating surrounding a private dining room wrapped in green cheetah wallcovering. The glass-enclosed bar, meanwhile, evokes a verdant greenhouse, decked out in shades of green and accented with lush foliage.

Read about more new spaces from this month here: https://spacesmag.com/design/new-spaces-april-2026-design-forward-restaurants-bars-boutique-hotels-to-visit/

📍65 Division Street, San Francisco

✍️ Lotus Abrams

📷 Douglas Friedman

04/23/2026

Here’s a sneak peek of the 2026 SF Decorator showcase!

This year’s showcase is held at a historic Queen Anne-style Victorian (the first Victorian in SF Showcase history), built in 1897 and designed by architect Moses J. Lyon.

The house was originally built for the Anspacher family and was historically preserved for over six decades by architect Herbert P. McLaughlin.

We love it all, but these were are favorite parts:

🫙 The jaw dropping art deco style kitchen, pantry and sitting room by our very own advisory board member Tineke Triggs

💡 The cool blue entry room by Kendall Wilkinson Design (they even designed the light fixtures!)

🛋️ The reversible bench and hand crafted table by Sindhu Peruri

🥃 The in-bedroom bar by Castellanos Interiors

👖 The Levi’s collab! The first ever fashion brand collab with the SF Decorator Showcase

🍾 The third floor living room with, of course, a wet bar

Tickets available now! Open from April 25 through May 25.

Tag someone you want to bring below!

04/21/2026

A tale as old as time: What started as a small-scale remodeling project ultimately encompassed the whole house.

It all began when designer Ansley Majit, founding principal at L+P Interiors, and the clients decided that the layout would work much better if the location of the kitchen, which had windows to the back and doors to the front, was swapped with the neighboring family room — a dark, ill-proportioned space.

See how the renovation turned out: https://spacesmag.com/stories/homes/a-kent-woodlands-1930s-home-is-transformed-for-modern-family-living/

✍️ Lotus Abrams

📷 R. Brad Knipstein

📐 Architecture: Richardson Pribuss Architects

🛋️ Interior design: Lark + Palm

🧰 Construction: Millennial Development

🌳 Landscape design: Green 17

A 1930s Kent Woodlands home is reimagined with a bright kitchen, playful design, and functional spaces for a modern family of five.

04/09/2026

After falling for a rambling mid-century home in Kentfield, a family of four living in Greenbrae decided to make the move. There was plenty to love about the house, built in 1950: Surrounded by mature oaks affording plenty of privacy, the L-shaped residence framed a large courtyard and a pool. With a floorplan encompassing over 3,000 square feet over two floors, five bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms, there was room for the family to spread out, too.

But like many older properties, the home had lost its way over the years after undergoing a series of haphazard remodels and additions.

Check out the full home renovation: https://spacesmag.com/stories/homes/reviving-a-mid-century-treehouse-in-kentfield/

✍️ Lotus Abrams

🧰 Builder: building Lab

📐 Architect: Jackie Detamore

🌳 Landscape Architect: Erin Werner Design

A strategic renovation in Kentfield embraces a fluid indoor-outdoor connection while respecting the home’s architectural roots.

04/02/2026

A 1974-era coastal contemporary home in Stinson Beach held undeniable allure for a couple with three teenage girls looking for a vacation property near their primary San Francisco residence. Among its assets, it offered a prime beachfront location, soaring ceilings in the main living area and plenty of space at close to 3,300 square feet.

The house also had its drawbacks, however. It had been remodeled several times over the years, resulting in haphazard additions — not to mention that the fixtures and finishes had become dated. Looking to transform the property into an entertaining-ready coastal retreat, the family hired a team that included Eichler Davies Architecture, Redmond Aldrich Design, Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture and Mat Pel Builders.

Read the full story: https://spacesmag.com/stories/homes/a-1970s-stinson-beach-home-transformed-into-a-modern-coastal-vacation-retreat/

✍️ Lotus Abrams

📐 Architecture: Eichler Davies Architecture

🛋️ Interior design: Redmond Aldrich Design

🌳 Landscape architecture: Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture

🧰 General contractor: Mat Pel Builders

A dated 1974 Stinson Beach home is transformed into a light-filled coastal retreat with motel-inspired design and Scandinavian style.

03/18/2026

Tucked into a forested lot in Mill Valley, a pre-1900s-era cottage held immediate appeal for a family of four moving to Marin from San Francisco. The 2,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home had plenty of charm, including authentic original details like Douglas fir wall and ceiling paneling and a plated glass and wood front door. The interior, however, was dark and dated, and an unfinished utility space took up valuable real estate behind the kitchen and living room. Seeking to update the home for modern living while retaining its character, the family brought in San Francisco-based Craig O’Connell Architecture to execute a thoughtful renovation.

Learn how the home was transformed: https://spacesmag.com/stories/homes/a-cottage-in-the-woods-a-mill-valley-home-gets-a-renovation-for-modern-living/

✍️ Lotus Abrams

📷 R. Brad Knipstein

📐 Architecture: Craig O'Connell Architecture

🧰 Construction: Buck O’Neill Builders

🛋️ Styling: Madeline Shields

03/03/2026

Offering an escape to the Amalfi Coast, Bella is a new all-day dining and cocktail destination in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood from the team behind Audio San Francisco and Bergerac San Francisco: Jeff Davis, Bruce McDonald and David Brinkley. The space, formerly occupied by Bergerac, underwent a complete transformation before officially opening a few weeks ago. Designed by Sean Corino Design and built out by Fuad Dayyeh and the IY Development team, Bella channels mid-century Italian summer getaways and vintage listening lounges with velvet couches, rattan chairs, wood paneling and sun-soaked imagery.

By day, Bella is a relaxed aperitivo bar, where guests can unwind while listening to a soundtrack of coastal jazz, Italian lounge and 1960s soul; at night, it transforms into a music-driven cocktail club with rotating DJs curated by Peter Dukakis of All Day All Night Events alongside Bella’s Maj Skouti. From brunch and happy hour to a late night out, guests can sample spritzes and Mediterranean-inspired cocktails created by Antonio Ricardez (formerly of Bergerac) as well as Italian-inspired bites from chef Jake Lucas (Palm House Hospitality, Off the Grid at Google) — all priced accessibly. Menu highlights include the Amalfi Spritzer (limoncello, St. Germain and prosecco); the Paloma Italian (reposado, Campari, grapefruit, lemon and agave); cacio e pepe risotto arancini; and shrimp with citrus, fennel, mint and parsley.

📍 316 11 St, San Francisco

✍️ Lotus Abrams

📷 Joe Greto