The house which designer Jay Jeffers shares his spouse, Michael Purdy, serves a double purpose: It is part escape and part design laboratory, nurturing creativity for Jeffers’ interior design business along with the pair’s San Francisco atelier, Cavalier. “Our house has mirrored my style evolution throughout the years,” says Jeffers, whose clients are often drawn to his vibrant, playful design touches. Architecturally, the house is tucked in a row of “handsome small Edwardians,” he states. But inside, it makes a daring departure from the remainder of the block.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Jay Jeffers and Michael Purdy
Location: Eureka Valley, San Francisco, California
Size: 2,500 square feet
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One of the first design lessons Jeffers provides his clients is that colour does not always mean vivid, splashy hues. “It is about creating new, unexpected pairings,” he states. “We just finished a gorgeous modern penthouse at a palette of grays and creams.”
Vintage tufted chairs in rich blue Holland & Sherry fabric complement the persimmon-stained walls.
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A floral lampshade with metallic trim almost looks like a framed watercolor bit next to an etching by Christopher Brown.
Wheel book weight: vintage, Coup d’Etat; wall paint: Persimmon, Benjamin Moore
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Gray trim highlights the molding in the dining area and provides a neutral complement into the bolder orange tones in the upholstery, decor and wall treatments. “I totally love the dining room,” Jeffers says. “It has a handsome, quirky appearance, with a gallery wall of portrait paintings”
Molding paint: Bear Creek, Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Pittsfield Buff, Benjamin Moore; dining table: vintage, Monteverdi Young; chandelier: vintage, Maitland Smith
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A Forrest Williams oil painting makes an alluring dialogue piece, including the illusion of another window within this living room sitting room. The settee is a custom piece by Jeffers.
Area rug: habit by Jay Jeffers & Kelly Hohla
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The kitchen was the only room in the home that really needed work — but that which designer stops following renovating just one room? Jeffers put into a tartan tile backsplash “à la Burberry,” he states , and custom cabinets with back-painted glass.
“it is a cliché to say, however, we are living in our kitchen,” he states. “The floor plan is circular, so that you can observe the kitchen from the dining area and living area, and guests always collect there. It is the ideal place for cooking — beef bourguignon, preferably — kicking back with a cocktail and glancing out in our view of the city”
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Like everything in Jeffers’ house, this tabletop vignette is meticulously curated.
“I’ve just started my first store, Cavalier, together with my spouse, and our focus with it’s on those kinds of carefully curated bits using a masculine edge,” says Jeffers.
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“I really put my stamp on the home. I believe the colour palette is what sets it apart and gives it its own distinct style notice,” he states.
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The guest area is swathed in acidity green wallpaper. “I am not sure anybody else on the block includes a sexy pink portrait of Abraham Lincoln,” Jeffers says.
Wallpaper: Studio Printworks; Abraham Lincoln screen-print: Natalie Ammirato
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This bedroom vignette combines handsome bits with quirkier things: An ornately framed mirror hangs over a vintage dresser, a sculptural bust adds gravitas into the corner and styled artwork stipulates a dash of whimsy.
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“This residence is my design laboratory,” says Jeffers. “It is where I crisscrossed pink and orange grosgrain ribbon in my master bedroom walls at one stage and hand-stencilled the drapes with my monogram in homage to Sir David Hicks.”