16 Spruce Street 2013

Purchased for $4.3 million in the middle of 2013 when marketed as “a rare opportunity for the discerning buyer,” the Presidio Heights home at 16 Spruce Street which was originally designed by architect John Bolles in 1946 has just returned to the market as “an inspired re-imagination of a Mid-Century modern residence” for $9.5 million.

16 Spruce Street 2014

The home’s new central staircase and section of glass floor are designed to bring light to the two levels below and “introduces” the living room and kitchen which is finished in white, steel and marble.

16 Spruce Street Main Floor

The kitchen is open to the family room which is accented by a walnut paneled wall.

16 Spruce Street Kitchen

And the family room, living room, and adjacent balcony overlook Julius Kahn Park and the Presidio.

16 Spruce Street Family

The five bedrooms are located on the two levels below…

16 Spruce Street Floor Plan

…including the master suite with a “spa like” master bath outfitted with a walk-in shower and private outdoor patio.

16 Spruce Street Master Bath

24 thoughts on “Mid-Century Gone Modern For $9.5M In Presidio Heights”
    1. I’d love to see “before” pictures, but I’m a fan of this, and it doesn’t strike me as a total “de-characterization” like the Jackson Street house. (Easier to contemporize midcentury without losing the character than it is to contemporize Spanish Revival.) The walnut-paneled walls (which I love) in the living room and master, the slatted wall at the entry, and the other walnut detailing — like the built in credenza in the dining room — are certainly mid-century aesthetic.

      Agree with soccermom on the relative value propositions of this vs. Jackson Street too.

  1. Another candidate for Interior of White Shoe Box prize of the month.
    What a cornucopia September brings!
    When will it ever end?

  2. Cool house! Inside matches the outside! (This is next door to the house with the ceiling-pour bathtub, right?)

    Much easier to see this going for $9.5mm than the Jackson Street house going for 15mm. Property Information Map has square footage at 4,294. $10mm even yields $2,328 psf and the listing agent wants you to feather that valuation down noting 1,100 square feet of exterior spaces. Seems like a fair value for a luxury property in a luxury location, but this is not my wheelhouse. I venture a $10.5mm sale price?

    What does the front look like?

    Good luck to everyone involved.

  3. While the world probably does not need any more white on white interiors, this is well done and fits the floor plan well.

  4. Where’s the balcony that’s on the right side of the plans on the main level?
    No back yard. Right on the street. Ugh.

    1. Wow, did you not see the views of the Presidio and JK Playground? Literally, “right in your backyard”. And that “street” is practically a fire road. My god, some of the comments on this site are just make my jaw drop in amazement.

      1. Access to the Presidio/playground are great but not the same as having a yard. Young kids can’t play in the Presidio unsupervised. Kids can’t pitch a tent in the Presidio for a sleepover. Can’t let the dog out in the Presidio unsupervised. Plus, that “fire road” is busier than any other street in Presidio Heights and I would never let my kid cross it unsupervised.

  5. I hope buyers of houses like these don’t have families. Imagine being a kid and never being able to have a spirit!

    1. If you are going to re-price a house by 120%, there’s room in the budget for some nice honed marble.

      Seems to be lost in the design discussion that with no obvious changes to the building envelope, as a ‘heavy cosmetic’ 12 month flip, this is a financial home run. 120% mark up? Fuggedaboutit. Again, kudos to the sellers.

  6. Why do people keep building TV’s into the walls? TV screen sizes are always expanding. 55″ becomes 70″ becomes 85″ becomes 120″. They will probably become entire wall screens in a few years. While it’s nice to see a recessed TV, it’s going to be obsolete soon and have to be re-designed.

    1. so far today i’ve already seen a 1/2 dozen people watching video content on screens of 4 -11 inches – iphones, tablets.
      not every room or viewer will demand the possible.
      scale and preferences will still vary.
      i can see the largest screens in home theaters but in a living room? i’d need to screen an entire wall when it was not in use.

  7. Soccermom did a recon run past this house today. Up close the finishes are very nice. The facade (I don’t know how to type the squiggley c, sorry) at the rear has an interesting overhang where the stucco projects over the stone at grade level.

    Otherwise the house has something in common with a Nicky Minaj video, where because of the magnificence of it, much attention has been paid to the rear. The front of the house is not pictured – it’s a funny narrow longish driveway. The lot must have been split weirdly at some point in the past. There really is no yard to speak of. The driveway approach looks like it belongs to the neighboring house up the hill.

    I know the counter is that “You’re right across from JK park!” which is true, but overall, I think the value should take a haircut. It’s great if someone wants an understated entrance, great, but then the rear of the house is pretty bold.

    I would hazard $8.5mm. Divided by the 5,400 sf stated above, that’s $1,574 psf, still a good value(?) Again, this is not my wheelhouse so I could be way off.

    Great job on the remodel. Good luck to all.

  8. What do you think he spent, $1m on the renovation? That’s a pretty good flip if you ask me. Hope he did an exchange on that profit.

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