The challenge of this project was to pare down the client’s belongings as he prepared to move from the four-story house he had lived in for 40 years, to a 1400 sq. ft. apartment in the iconic Brocklebank Building, at the top of Nob Hill.
We started by discussing every piece in his home to decide which items could find a place in his new residence and which could not. This client has very strong opinions; it was a fun challenge to meet all of his requirements and expectations.
The client’s extensive art collection and belongings embody his memories and bring him joy, so it was important to him to showcase these in his new space. The paint colors were pulled from the artwork; the new space was all about honoring the art.
In the client's words..
“Before I met Robert Holgate, I had seen a room that he designed for a mutual friend; it was an Arabian-style
tent in the middle of a Russian Hill apartment, and it fascinated me. We met because I had decided to move
from the 4-story house that I had lived in for 30+ years into an apartment in an elevator building, and knowing
that wherever I landed I would need an interior designer to help me with my new home, I had asked friends to
recommend designers whose work they knew. Robert was the second person on the list I had assembled from
those recommendations, and within five minutes of interview I decided that I wanted to work with him.
Until then I had an image that each interior designer had a personal style that could be found in all his or her designs, whereas Robert emphasized that he derived his ideas from the lifestyle, taste and reusable possessions of each client, so that each dwelling he designed was different and embodied what was characteristic of the individual client. That sounded good to me, and as it turned out, we had occasion in the year following to work on two different apartments ― one small gem where I lived as a renter for just seven months, and then a large condo that I bought planning to live there for the rest of my life.
Both reflected me in everything from colors I favored to walls spacious enough to hang the paintings and drawings I had collected, to bookshelves added to hold my books and the artifacts I had acquired in a lifetime of traveling around the world. Working with Robert was harmonious and left me with a home that still makes me happy every time I look around.”