SoMa Loft Residence | Studio VARA

SoMa Loft Residence is 2017 IIDA Global Excellence Award Finalist

Offering spectacular Bay Bridge views, this two-level loft was an uninspired white box chopped up into many small rooms. Having worked with the owners on another home in the Carmel Valley, the designers wanted to bring a similar warm, modern and spacious character to this loft that celebrates the view while offering two-bedroom suites for overnight guests.

To accomplish these goals, walls & soffits were first removed to expose concrete. Now pared down to the essentials, the space was reimagined as a composition of planes and volumes in warm materials: concrete, wire-brushed and waxed European white oak, gunmetal gray panels & gallery white walls.

The kitchen, a compact composition of white lacquer casework opens to harbor views over an oversized island. A slender blackened steel stair of white oak treads and a frameless glass guardrail replaces the heavy original, and serves as a focal point for the room. The adjacent guest bedroom features a moveable wall of hanging panels that can be hidden away, allowing the living room to seamlessly double in size.

The master bathroom features backlit steel mirrors, travertine slab floors & shower walls and vanities made from wire-brushed, waxed oak. Overlooking the living room, a loft features casework that separates a large dressing area from the media room.

Using a vibrant Stark carpet purchased by the owners before construction started, furniture and art were selected to complement the natural material palette. Unique pieces include a custom steel and oak dining table and an upholstered bench.

Data Sheet

Architect: Studio VARA

Interiors: Tony Ambus, Design Details

Structural Engineer: Strandberg Engineering

General Contractor: Upscale Construction

Photography: Bruce Damonte