The month of July was a very busy one! And it has been a very rewarding one too.

My design of a masculine flat was chosen to come out on the cover of the July issue of Rue Magazine, which in my opinion is one of the best sdesign magazine around and it was a complete surprise to me! They didn't tell me I made the cover, so imagine my surprise when I saw it!

Text from the article:

ONE MONTH. Soledad Alzaga has worked under restricted timelines before, but this request may have set a record. A bachelor was moving into a three bedroom apartment in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood and wanted it move in ready within a month. Luckily for Soledad, he was a repeat customer and she knew his style well. "He likes leather and he likes a lot of stone," she said laughing. Unfortunately, the apartment was a rental, and with only a month to work, new finishes, like quartz countertops or marble floors were not feasible. Still, trusting in her judgment, the client laid out the project timeline, put his faith in Soledad, and largely stepped back. Clients deferring to a designer's opinion is nothing new but in this case, Soledad says. "I didn't even have to present the design concept to him".

He just walked in and the whole place was done. Given her unrestricted creative control of the space, Soledad wonders, "maybe I just channeled my inner single guy and this is how I would like my apartment to look like."

LUCKILY, her client loved the design of the entire home, and the rapid timeline was fine with Soledad, one of San Francisco's most in demand designers.

Unlike this project, Soledad's entry into interior design was a gradual process. She started by designing her own homes, frequently moving and selling them after a year or so, but interior design remained a hobby as she worked in graphic design and banking. After requests from friends for design assistance, when her youngest child started pre-school she launched her company officially and has remained busy ever since.

 

THE APARTMENT retains several original details, including painted ceiling beams with a geometric pattern. Soledad's first instinct was to paint the walls of the living room dark gray but because the rooms. seep into each other thanks to the arc shaped open doorways. she determined she just couldn't paint one space. Instead she kept the textured walls white and selected dark linen curtains to balance the dark ceiling. An ottoman and chairs add in additional moody vibe while a buttery caramel sofa brings warmth - yet remains distinctly masculine. A bank of windows boasts views of Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge on clear days. For nights that are foggy, the corner fireplace stands at the ready.

HANGING above the sofa is a large photograph by a friend of Soledad's, photographer Frank Schott. The photo was blown up and framed to hang over the couch, preferring a single strong statement to many little ones.

I decorated this bachelor pad in record time, and I love the results and thankfully my trustful client does too!

Here are more pictures - taken by Emily Johnston from the article.

The photo on top of the sofa is from from my friend Frank Schott and you can find it here. On top of the bed I used a Jere sculpture I found in a store called Monument in San Francisco.

For further info on this design project in San Francisco by Soledad Alzaga Interior Design , feel free to email info@soledadalzaga.com