“I’m sick of living in a white box.” That was the homeowner’s ask for San Francisco designer Alison Damonte when she was tasked with reimagining the interiors of 20 Oak Ridge Road. The client was Dr. Maria Raven, Chief of Emergency Medicine at UCSF, and she wanted a home full of color, history, personality, and soul.
Thankfully, Damonte had a lot of history to work with. The five bedroom, four bathroom (plus one half bath) home dates to the mid 1910s. Famed San Francisco architect Willis Polk built the residence, reportedly for T. Ronnenberg, his chief engineer. Ronnenberg would later go on to work as a structural engineer on the Golden Gate and Bay bridges.
Damonte sought to restore the home’s original splendor, bringing forward oak paneling, arched windows, and French doors. She restored original finishes including colored glass, ceramic bathroom floors, and push-button light switches. Then, they broke the rules. As Damonte put it, she was more interested in features her client would appreciate over perfect historical accuracy.
She brought in layers of color and pattern, like Hermès wallpaper beneath a glossy ceiling, neon celery cabinetry, and a very blue bedroom. The bold design, paired with century-old architecture, serves as the backdrop for the client’s contemporary art collection.
For a buyer who isn’t interested in a white box, Anna Bellomo of District Homes holds the listing for $2.995 million.
