785 Cole: Kitchen
785 Cole: Tub
785 Cole: Master Bath
Well, it looks like we weren’t the only ones to get the ‘pocket listing’ email last week. Hey, it happens. And regardless, it’s the two/three room Jensen & Macy remodel that caught our attention (kitchen, master bed/bath). We’re particularly fond of the wall of doors from the kitchen to the deck. And no, we can’t explain the Barcelona Couch in the Kitchen.
UPDATE (8/6): Closed escrow on 8/3/07 with a contract price of $1,900,000.
∙ Listing: 785 Cole (3/2.5) – $2,000,000 [John DiDomenico]
New Lows in Marketing [SF Curbed]
Jensen & Macy [jensen-macy.com]

17 thoughts on “Garcon, There’s A Couch In My Kitchen (785 Cole)”
  1. Maybe I’m too much of a traditionalist (despite the fact I’m quite fond of contemporary/modern designs) but I still don’t get the bathroom/tub in the bedroom trend. While I’ve seen several properties that have done something similar, I’m not sure its appeal going to have a longevity.
    And for $2MM in this area of Cole Valley (almost in the Haight) it seems a bit “rich”.

  2. I agree with the above comment. I don’t want a tub in my bedroom. If this home were in my budget that would be the first thing I would change.

  3. I’m not so hip on the tub in the bedroom trend either but for me the real problem is the partial remodel at this price point. A complete J&M remodel and I’m in. If not I’m spending all my time in the bedroom and kitchen (maybe that explains the couch!) and that’s a bit pricey for a big “one bedroom/kitchen” with potential…

  4. The house was on the market last year, I’m pretty certain we saw it then.
    Bathroom was featured in Sunset magazine or something like that. As the saying goes ‘When architects win awards, people lose..’

  5. The last time it was up for sale, I saw it too.
    The place looks very plain on the outside in a very mediocre neighborhood, and then you walk into the weirdest house I’ve seen. Cheapest construction you can imagine: the actual bathroom in the master bedroom (sans the tub, which is in the bedroom, and you can’t call it a “master bath”: it’s tiny, closer to something you’d find in an airplane) feels like it’s made out of cardboard.
    I doubt it would sell for $500K off the price. Someone will need to start over. And then you’ll still have a plain looking house in a mediocre neighborhood.

  6. I suppose that rather than stepping out of the tub and soaking the hardwood floor as you stumble towards the towels hidden in some cabinet on the other side of the wall, you’re meant to stand up and have your manservant dry you off before you flop straight into bed.

  7. adore the open kitchen, but what were they thinking with the paint job? every surface is an icy white, like primer. i think they were going for a really mod look, but it just doesn’t work with the natural bones of the place, which looks like it has rather intact and charming detailing and moldings.
    i have different weekend sleep patterns than my sig o, so a shower steam wake up call would be offputting. i also think it’s a trend that will look dated later on.

  8. Yep…we saw this one last year too…and, yes, it is weird. I thought it was listed for $1.7-1.8m last spring, too. Are the new owners going to make money off of it? It took awhile for it to sell last year. If you think the sofa doesn’t belong in the kitchen, you should see where that bathtub is located–it just didn’t look right in the grand scheme of things.

  9. Oh come on guys, this is San Francisco and all you want is traditional? You prefer taking a bath next to the toilet in a traditional layout? Its not soo bad….

  10. “All you want is traditional” is silly and reductionist. Modern designs can be very beautiful and functional. A separate bath can be very elegant, and separating a toilet from the bath or shower can make practical as well as aesthetic sense. However, there is often a good reason why certain design motifs persist decade after decade (read How Buildings Learn or A Pattern Language). Breaking a motif like “bathroom separate from the bed” could be done thoughtfully, though practically speaking the steam and moisture wouldn’t play well with most people’s bedrooms. In my opinion, this ain’t that.

  11. I love contemporary/modern furnishings/homes, but the bathtub in the bedroom is just a little too … bizarre for me. I can’t tell how tall it is, but looks like you’d have to be at least 7′ tall to climb into that tub!

  12. Being a resident of that “mediocre neighborhood”, I have to clarify a couple of things. Cole Valley is unique within San Francisco inasmuch as it feels more like a small town than just a neighborhood. Its location in the center of the city makes it quick to get from here to any other neighborhood…and, while near the Haight, is not the Haight.
    As for 785 Cole, I believe that it was listed 2 years ago, not last year, and for $1.9M, not $1.7M. Given that properties in Cole Valley are still selling at a premium, $2M (w/4+ car parking) isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

  13. Hmm…Tipster doesn’t seem to understand the rule about “location.” It’s not whether you personally like the neighborhood – it’s about the overall market. Single family homes in Cole Valley are still selling quickly, often far above asking. 107 Belvedere, which is in a less desireable part of the hood, sold about 30% over asking in the past month. The same agent sold a listing around the corner (on Stanyan) a few months ago, also at or over asking. SFHs in Cole Valley are few and far between – they get a lot of action. I also thought $2MM was a bit of a stretch, but the opportunity to add square footage in the attic and the 4-car garage might get it there.

  14. Cole Valley is a great neighborhood however having lived there I personally would not consider this home’s location to be in that hood. Premium prices are warranted but my view the location needs to be south of Carl.

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