Designer Who Invented the ‘70’s California Look: Michael Taylor’s Own Home!

Designer Who Invented the ‘70’s California Look: Michael Taylor’s Own Home!

Named “The James Dean of Interior Design” by Vogue’s Anna Vreeland and one of the 20 Great Designers of All Time by Architectural Digest, San Francisco-based Michael Taylor pioneered the California Look of the 1970s and ‘80s. With the goal of creating airy-and-light rooms, the California Look made use of white walls and pioneered the use of plants and natural elements in interior design. Unafraid of mixing periods and styles, Taylor also spearheaded the fusion of disparate design elements. 

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A mansion in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighborhood that served as Taylor’s longtime office and residence has been listed for sale at $32 million. The five-bed, six-bath home offers 7,500 square feet of living space and 144 feet of unobstructed ocean frontage. Taylor’s original designs include the stately courtyard, heated pool with fountains, oversize planters, shell-themed wall sconces, and the lower level’s large-stone-slate floor. A thoughtful remodel employed the same architects, Porter and Steinwedell, who worked on the home for Taylor.

The commanding three-level home boasts huge picture windows that provide Taylor’s signature light-and-airy aesthetic as well as jaw-dropping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Pacific Ocean, or the property’s gorgeous landscaping from nearly every room. Striking French doors open onto the main level’s grand-entry hall which takes advantage of the spectacular vistas. The impressive scale of the home is particularly notable in the dramatic living room that showcases soaring ceilings with exposed beams, herringbone floors, and a wood-burning fireplace. A library with its own wet bar connects to the living room, with a formal dining room, a fully equipped chef’s kitchen, and a staff bedroom suite also on this level. 

The home’s top floor is dedicated to the luxurious private suite and executive offices offering private terraces, two glamorous baths with dressing rooms and custom cedar-lined built-ins, and a swanky wet bar. The lower level is devoted to entertaining, with spacious lounges, walk-out terraces, a wine-tasting room, a full gym, a guest suite with its own entrance, and a private access to Baker Beach, one of San Francisco’s most beautiful beaches. A three-car garage with a Tesla charger completes the estate. The south-facing side of the home is protected by mature cloud-trimmed cypress trees, offering the ultimate in privacy and seclusion. 

While many of Taylor’s design features seem common today, it is only because he first brought them into the limelight. One of the most published decorators of the trendsetting ‘70s and ‘80s, he forever changed the world of interior home design. Although he died in 1986 at age 59, his legacy lives on in the Michael Taylor Designs stores and showrooms in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Cleveland and London.   

Sea Cliff, in northwestern San Francisco, is known for its large-and-expensive homes and striking views. Nearby options for entertainment include Lincoln Park Golf Course, Golden Gate Park, and the Legion of Honor Museum. Popular with celebrities, some of the neighborhood's notable residents include billionaire George Soros, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, actor Eugene Levy, and Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. 

The listing is held by Neal Ward of Compass. 

Photos Courtesy Compass

Source: www.nealwardproperties.com