OLD SOULS

A YOUNG SAN FRANCISCO COUPLE REFER TO THE PAST AS A GUIDE FOR THEIR FUTURE

- KRISSA ROSSBUND

Childhood dreams sometimes conjure images of flying unicorns.

Other times they're of magical lands where clouds, flowers, and butterflies are made of sugar. For designer Kendall Wilkinson's client, the dream grew up into something a bit more realistic. The client imagined herself in a historic San Francisco home. That proved a notable style pivot from the neighborhood of her youth, where midcentury modern homes lined streets, and where fluting, scrolls, and millwork never saw light among architecture with an intentional absence of frills.

Her husband not only supported his wife's fantasy, he also longed for a similar environment. In 2023, when the young couple sought to vacate their condo for more spacious accommodations, affinity sparked with a house built in 1905. Soon, their new living trajectory felt very “once upon a time” with a “they lived happily ever after” to come.

“My clients toured plenty of cookie-cutter modern homes while they were searching and recoiled against it,” Wilkinson says. “They noted that in modern homes, there was an exact spot for everything, and that type of design seemed less inviting for new pieces to weave into. They wanted a design that was fluid and allowed them to bring back mementos from travels that would seamlessly blend. They also wanted a design that would get better with age. Modern design can lose its effect and impact when that happens.” The clients found their ideal in the home she crafted with creative design director Michael Schoeller.