Home Design & Remodeling for San Francisco

Thoughtful Architecture & Interior Design for New Build Homes, Additions, Remodels and Beyond

We focus on enhancing the lives of our clients by creating rich environments, whether that’s a new build, an addition or a remodel. Our design approach considers the interior design hand-in-hand with the architecture to sculpt gorgeous, perfectly executed spaces.

We provide a full service solution, taking the time to learn about our clients and what they value most to create spaces tailored to them. We believe a good plan leads to seamless execution. Our process takes the guesswork out of project scope & design vision, using detailed permit plans & 3D renders alongside our experience working with the city of San Francisco. You'll be introduced to contractors we’ve come to trust over the years, helping you find the right fit for your project and ensuring smooth progress. From the very outset we take a holistic approach to interior design & architecture, considering your materials, furniture selections and colors to create a strong cohesive aesthetic.

We pride ourselves on working intimately with our clients from beginning to end, providing as much knowledge, opinion, and coordination as needed. During construction, we advocate for our clients and the design vision, being there to solve any issues as they arise and making sure everything turns out as planned.

Questions? We’d love to hear about your project.

Lowe@SDLresidential.com
(707) 508-8828

Our Services

A black new build home looking over Sonoma Valley.

“As residential designers for our kitchen and bath remodel, Samuel and his team have skills that cover several disciplines that would otherwise require hiring a separate architect and interior designer. Samuel took stock of the current style of our house and blended designs for a new state-of-the-art kitchen and bath”

— RANDY C. - CLIENT

FAQ

In San Francisco not all permits are created equal, so depending on the type of project you may wait a couple of weeks for an over-the-counter permit, vs months for a larger remodel. San Francisco has many permit types available to streamline most remodel projects; for bathroom/ kitchen remodels that are primarily cosmetic (e.g. not removing walls or relocating plumbing) a “No Plans” Over The Counter (OTC) permit can be issued, otherwise plans must be submitted with the permit application.
For new-build homes San Francisco has a reputation for excessive review times upwards of 2 years before applications are approved.
San Francisco has a diverse range of architectural styles, building ages and property types; from small, flat inner-city lots, to steep hillsides with poor accessibility. All these factors affect the economic feasibility and aging properties normally require extensive remodeling, but most properties in San Francisco are constrained by available street frontage for equipment and materials that often makes remodeling the more economical option.
As this question might require heavy consideration depending on the project, we can determine what the best path for you is through an optional building feasibility study in the early stages of a working together.
After a consultation to evaluate the scope of the project, a total design fee will be assessed, this fee is then split between the 5 different phases of the project, giving you financial runway as we work through the project.
2024 saw the adoption of state-wide regulations that aimed to ease the housing crisis by making the construction and use of Accessory Dwelling Units more flexible. This included expedited timelines for permit review, and relaxed building setback, height and parking requirements. However there are still site-specific constraints that may make an ADU untenable, so before design begins we would advise using a building feasibility study to outline design parameters.
San Francisco has a fast-track for simple ADU permits that can be utilized, however many properties fall into a special category (e.g. Historic or Legalization of an existing structure) which can easily extend their permit review timelines
We certainly do! Before we embark on any project we will always offer a consultation so that we can get to know each other and see if we’ll be a good fit. If so, we’ll be happy to provide design services, including consultation, for projects big or small.