Second Time’s the Charm

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Studio Munroe uses color and creativity to create a forever home for longstanding clients

In the foyer, the hand-painted wardrobe is by RW Guild wardrobe and the Ochre chandelier was purchased at Coup d’Etat.
Photos by Thomas Kuoh.

“There is real freedom in working with clients on new spaces because you have already realized a series of aesthetic and functional goals so there is now uncharted next-level design territory to conquer,” says designer Emilie Munroe of Studio Munroe about the recent redesign of an S.F. Victorian home owned by clients she worked with six years prior. “We wanted to take where we started and turn up the volume by exploring new materials, textures and, most essentially, new color combinations.”

The dining room features a sideboard by Croft House, a Lindsay Adelman chandelier, and a TaiPing custom area rug.
Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
In the kitchen, the cabinetry is by Waterworks the countertops are by Caesarstone, the pendants are by The Urban Electric Company and the ranges is from La Cornue. Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
In the powder room, a pair of Lee Broom pendants from The Future Perfect shed light on the 17 Patterns wallpaper from New Wall.
Photos by Thomas Kuoh.

The 6,850-square-foot home that was built in 1901 required the Studio Munroe team to put in significant work in order to modernize the flow and create public family entertainment areas, more adult-focused lounging areas and dreamy bedrooms their young daughters. “When you have a large volume of space to work with, you gain the freedom to define and customize spaces to meet more specific personal, professional and entertainment needs,” says Munroe. “These are fun and exciting conversations, but they also require immense amounts of self-reflection and vision on the client’s part, especially for a young family, as the fast pace of daily life can blur the dreams and goals of the next ten years.”

In the office, a pair of chairs by Coup Studio from Coup d’Etat and an Atelier Purcell Sofa from DeSousa Hughes add comfort.
Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
Camengo drapery fabric from Casamance with Rogers & Goffigon trim fabric and Phillip Jeffries wallpaper on the ceiling add texture in the primary bedroom. Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
In the primary bathroom, Waterworks pendants flank the vanity and a Circa Lighting Pendant is in the water closet.
Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
Photos by Thomas Kuoh.

Known for infusing each project with color, texture and print, the Studio Munroe team embraced the design of the clients’ first home while pushing the color palettes in a new direction. “The first home we created together had a strong black and white color motif throughout, with one or two accent colors in most rooms and an overall clean and crisp aesthetic,” she notes. “To create a new identity, we approached the design using white as the foundation color in all the public rooms and mixing in emerald, navy, Seafoam, light blue and periwinkle with the white that references the color scheme in the prior home while bringing more complexity.”

In a guest bedroom, Brimer Workshop created a custom bed frame.
Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
In the guest bathroom tile from Anne Sacks and wallpaper from Trove add vibrancy. Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
In one of the girls’ bedrooms, Rebecca Atwood wallpaper creates a dreamy vibe. Photos by Thomas Kuoh.

In the girls’ bathroom, the sconces are by The Urban Electric Company the wall and floor tile is from Waterworks and CB2 makes the medicine cabinets. Photos by Thomas Kuoh.

Attention to detail is another reason the clients wanted to work with the Studio Munroe team again, and help them create their forever home. “At their first home, we converted a double door entry closet into an unexpected wine storage and display room,” says Munro. “It was a huge hit for the clients and their guests—nothing like a surprise wow factor to kick off cocktail hour.” At the new home, they expanded on the original concept and converted the entire lower level into and entertaining floor that includes a custom wine room and navy kitchenette with woven metal shelving inserts, herringbone marbled glass tiles and concrete counters. Munroe notes, “However, the true gem of this adult entertainment space is the hidden bookshelf door in the built-in TV shelving wall that leads to a dedicated media room. Despite the additional square footage and open plan site lines, we were able to achieve a surprise moment for them yet again.”

In the back stairwell landing, a Guild pendant sheds light on a stair runner provided by Floor Design.
Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
The custom wine room was designed by Munroe Studio. Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
A hidden door reveals the media room. Photos by Thomas Kuoh.
The entertainment floor kitchenette features cabinetry and tile by Waterworks Cabinetry and Emtek hinges from Design Theory Hardware. Photos by Thomas Kuoh.

After working with this family on two full renovations over the course of five years, the Studio Munroe team reveled in the opportunity to help design their dream home. “We had such a sympatico vision, that handing over this house was an effortless, natural, and seamless transition: Joy for their family and joy for our team to have collaborated on such a jewel of a home,” she says.