Turning a Rental into a Home

When documentary filmmaker John moved to this apartment in San Francisco’s Noe Valley, he really wanted to turn this rental into a home. He travels frequently shooting all around the world (he just returned from China), and when he’s back in San Francisco, he needs a space where he can unpack and fully recharge. He called upon Jill Cordner to turn the rental apartment into a home. First, Jill took stock of John’s existing furniture and together they came up with a list of new purchases – a sofa, filing cabinet, dining set, nightstand, bookshelves, a coffee table, rugs and wall art. She found lots of great pieces from stores like Restoration Hardware, Room and Board and Design Within Reach, but what really added personality to the space was scouring flea markets and vintage stores for unique pieces that expressed his personality. When he’s home, John makes the most of the space. He recently hosted a birthday dinner party for a friend, and Jill helped him figure out how to reconfigure his living room into a dining banquette for seven people. Having a space that is flexible enough to bring people together is truly what makes a house a home. -Amy

Photography by Liz Daly

Image above: “The living room is one big open space separated into an office and living room zone,” Jill says.

Image above: “Bedroom: It was really important to John to feel a personal connection with many of the furnishings. The eye chart is from Restoration Hardware but it reminded him of his mother who is an optometrist.”

Image above: “Helping clients personalize their spaces is one of my favorite parts of being a designer. We found this vintage brass trunk at Leftovers in SF, a consignment store.”

See more of this Noe Valley apartment after the jump!
(more…)