At Home: Couple keenly mixes new and old in coveted Nopa Victorian
By: Karen Palmer
Special to The Examiner
July 3, 2009
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| Derek and Sandra Kazee keenly mix new and old in coveted Nopa Victorian. |
SAN FRANCISCO — Derek and Sandra Kazee didn’t just luck into their light-filled Victorian flat in Nopa — it seems as though it was meant to be theirs.
The couple had looked at another unit in the same building a few years ago, but fell in love with the one they’re in now. The only catch was that the building’s owner lived there at the time — but the space would come available at a very opportune moment. “We were literally in the customs line from our honeymoon when we got the call that it was available,” Derek says.
The couple now shares the two-bedroom apartment with their 2-year-old son, Luke, and two new additions to the family, their black cats, Candy and Cassie, which they adopted from a friend.
Throughout the flat, the Kazees mix older pieces, such as antique finds from flea markets and the couple’s travels, with more modern pieces from the likes of Limn and Ligne Rosset.
“We really like the combination of modern and rustic; it just brings in more warmth,” Sandra explains.
Some pieces from Derek’s family also take center stage, such as an antique bar and radio in the dining room, and an alabaster lamp in the master bedroom that was his grandmother’s, which balances out a modern bed from Room & Board.
Derek says, “The house was built in 1885, so it’s really all about mixing old and new, and hot and cold, for a sense of balance.”
Design style
Design aesthetic: Modern with warm elements throughout
Favorite room in the home: The open kitchen and dining room. “Luckily the kitchen had been redone before we moved in. When we entertain, this is where everyone hangs out,” Derek says.
Favorite local design stores: Limn, Ligne Rosset, Collage
Prized possessions: A few antique pieces, such as a cabinet that serves as the couple’s library and an oversized mirror frame that Sandra found in Brazil.
Design inspirations: Travel, and magazines such as Dwell, Metropolitan Home and Fast Company
