Tour a Spanish Revival Home That’s a Jaw-Dropping Blend of Old and New

“Nothing was off limits.” That’s what David and Julie Supan told interior designer Martin Young about updating their century-old Spanish Revival home in San Francisco’s upscale Ingleside Terraces community.  

“They loved the many architectural details and wanted to make the home more comfortable for their modern family lifestyle,” Young says.  

martin young entry 1
In the foyer, the credenza is by Coup D’Etat. The mirror is vintage, from the ’70s, and is made of gold gilt over metal and convex mirror glass. It came from 1stDibs.com. All photos by Jose Manuel Alorda.

The Supans were introduced to Young, who founded his eponymous San Francisco design firm in 2012. A trained architect, he previously worked for noted design and architecture firms in the Netherlands and California.   

The couple shared with Young their passions for rich color, bold geometry and a flair for the eclectic.  

“It was a great collaboration with Martin,” says David, whose background is in advertising and graphic design. “We would riff off each other, and then at some point we made a decision.”  

martin young entryway 2
Also in the foyer is a steel hall chair by the Italian designer Augosto Dionisi Fabbro.

The early list of projects was phased, so the family could continue to live in the home while the work was going on. But then, an electrical fire in the walk-out lower level quickly changed the priorities. Fortunately, everyone got out safely, and the rest of the home was undamaged.  

THE MULTI-PURPOSE LOWER LEVEL

martin young family room
The family room on the completely redone lower level sports geometric patterns and sound-dampening curtains. The curtain fabric is from Zoffany. The side table, made of natural rope, is by Christian Astuguevieille. 

Because of the fire, the project balanced restoration and renovation.   

The lower level was nearly gutted, then reconfigured to create separate areas for entertaining, game play, media viewing and working out. The spaces are defined by sound-dampening portière curtains, which sport a vibrant geometric print on one side and jewel-tone solid on the other. Hidden within the wall behind a vintage foosball table is a pull-down bed.   

The space, which comfortably sleeps five, is colorful and lively, punched up with contemporary art and light fixtures. But the Old World influences aren’t far away. Paneled wood doors were designed similarly to the ones upstairs, and the hexagonal tiles in the spa bath are the same dimensions as those in the front entry.   

“We wanted to feel like there was a conversation between the upstairs and downstairs,” Young says.  

THE LIVING ROOM

martin young living room
Pulling the living room together is an indigo X-ray of a sand dollar hanging above the fireplace, by British photographer Nick Veasy. The coffee table is from Formations. The velvet fabric on the sofa is by Zoffany.

The basic building blocks in the living room were rust-colored draperies and the multi-hued Asian-style area rug, which together pull out hues from the stenciled ceiling beams.   

Above the fireplace hangs an indigo X-ray of a sand dollar by British photographer Nick Veasey. The piece sets the stage for the serene blues of the U-shaped conversation seating. David did not want the back of a sofa on view from the dining room beyond the stately 10-panel doors, so he and Young appointed a bench module on that side of the grouping.  

The original fireplace contrasted a matte black stone mantel with a white plaster surround. To bring them more in tune, the designer brought in artisans to glaze the mantel and faux paint the surround to resemble black marble.   

A pair of Tommi Parzinger midcentury brass-and-leather benches are timeless additions.  

THE DINING ROOM

martin young dining room
The geometries of the Jean de Merry “Kara” chandelier and Piero Manrique abstract painting play off those of the divided-light windows and the stenciled coffered ceiling. The two benches are Amy Somerville, with Edelman leather seats and Cullman + Kravis upholstery. The ceramic sculptures are by Peter St. Lawrence.

A vintage Kerman area rug anchors the formal dining room, with its palette of periwinkle with rust accents. It’s the perfect backdrop to showcase David’s heirloom collection of Flow Blue china, which the family uses frequently. Studded, high-back slipper chairs complement the custom trestle table, which Young designed.   

“I don’t mind mixing metals,” David says. “I actually kind of like it because it makes certain ones stand out.”  

THE SON’S BEDROOM

martin young sons bedroom
The son’s bedroom is designed to easily evolve as he grows up.

Cheerful textiles in circle and stripe patterns plus a smattering of primary brights pop against a foundation of neutral walls and a subdued vintage rug in the son’s bedroom.  

It’s a sophisticated but practical approach to a child’s special space that can easily undergo refreshes as he grows up and his interests evolve.  

THE PRIMARY BEDROOM AND DRESSING AREA

martin young master bedroom
In the primary bedroom, the bedding is by Julia B. The desk and desk chair are from Baker Furniture.

The ceiling, in lapis blue, dramatizes the height of the room and calls attention to the carved intricacies of the crown molding. The flush-mount light fixture was a chandelier from Restoration Hardware cut down to seven tiers in reference to the seven rows of concentric butterflies in the wall art above the desk.   

The vanity in the primary bedroom’s dressing area.

In the adjacent dressing area, the original built-in cabinetry was painted with a glossy version of the bedroom ceiling color and fitted with a new marble vanity top.  

“Martin can work in so many styles,” David says. “He has a wide swath. He can do a masculine room or a feminine room, and his level of quality is always consistent.”   


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Pamela Dittmer McKuen is an award-winning Chicago-based freelance features journalist who specializes in home, design and travel. She has dual passions for dark chocolate and cats.