Insights

In December 2025, Larry Ellison sold his Pacific Heights mansion at 2850 Broadway in an off-market deal for approximately $45 million. He'd bought it in 1988 for $3.9 million. That's not just a real estate story. That's a lesson in what happens when you own the right...

If you’re planning a transition to the Bay Area tech universe, your dev skills have you plotting neighborhoods, cross-referencing city services and reverse-engineering the best floor plans for your family. It is a great time to be moving here.  San Francisco offers...

Steve Jobs returned to a company most people had written off in the 90s. Apple had iconic products, a devoted following, and an operating system that was genuinely beautiful. But there was a disconnect. And no one could really put their finger on it. But, it was also...

I love getting the call from homeowners looking to take their living experience to the next level.  Naturally, most conversations about renovating older homes in San Francisco focus on modernizing systems, and realigning functionality and aesthetics with our current...

Every smart home remodel article you'll find online starts in the same place: the ecosystem (HomeKit, Alexa or Google) and the gear list. Including compatible lighting, thermostats, speakers, cameras, and. Smart locks. The implication is that if you bolt enough...

I look around my neighborhood, and I just can't imagine living anywhere else. From the parks to the Pacific and the accessibility of culture and technology, San Francisco has it all. Part of loving it here really has to do with living here. And the home environment...

Most people approach this decision backwards. People usually start with a web search, narrowing things down based on a gut reaction based on portfolios and how much the web design resonates.  They schedule a few calls, get a feeling, and go with whoever seems the most...

How much does an architect cost in San Francisco? It's a fair question with an answer based on the permutation of architects, projects, scopes, locations, and more. But I know you’re here to get some straightforward answers so that you can plan your whole-home remodel...

Let's talk about the best day of your renovation: the day you decide to do it! You're standing in your home that was designed before you were born, imagining some of the things you’d like to change. Maybe opening things up. You've got a Pinterest board, tons of saved...

You've been planning your whole-house remodel for months. You've saved the capital. You've got a vision. And then, just when you’re about to kick off construction, you discover the designs violate setback requirements. Permits are denied. Your "lowest bid" contractor...

What home renovations add the most value in the Bay Area? Great question. And it's all relative. "Value" is one of those linguistic Rorschach blots that can mean many things to many people. At my architecture firm in San Francisco, there are two ways to really talk...

When you're planning a whole-house remodel in San Francisco and someone hands you a budget breakdown with hard costs vs. soft costs listed separately, it's easy to assume the hard costs are what really matter and the soft costs are just... overhead? Nice-to-haves?...

The shakes over the last few days got the phone ringing in our office about residential earthquake safety strategies, renovations, and seismic retrofitting. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, earthquakes are a fact of life. It’s the elephant in the room that...

If you're planning a whole-house remodel in San Francisco, you've probably heard this complaint from your friends: “OMG, the construction process takes forever!” Permits drag on. Contractors disappear mid-project. Design changes pop up months into construction because...

If you've heard the rumors and the whispers about Billionaires Row in San Francisco and wondered where exactly it is, the answer is simpler than you might think. Billionaires row is three blocks of Broadway between Divisadero and Lyon streets in Pacific Heights,...

Trying to determine what home remodels cost in San Francisco is an answer-dragon with many heads. A generic pricing band of $500K-$5M puts numbers on the table, yes, but is otherwise pretty meaningless because there are so many details that go into an accurate budget....

I love it when clients go deep into the architectural process. It's really exciting to be able to share some of my favorite San Francisco architects as a source of inspiration and education. This city has a profoundly rich architectural history and while most don't...

If you think you know San Francisco, think again. There's way more to this city than sourdough, cable cars, and The Fisherman's Wharf. If you're considering a move here, ditch the flower in your hair and get ready to experience a few little-known secrets about how...

If you’ve found this page searching for an “architect near me” in the San Francisco area, it likely means that you’re already aware of how tough it can be to build here with someone who doesn’t have what it takes.  Incredible designs, accolades, and great customer...

If you've spent the last six months scrolling through Pinterest boards that all start to look the same, you're not alone. The algorithm shows you what you've already liked, which means you keep seeing variations of the same aesthetic over and over. White kitchens....