. . . a frame that shapes our day,
a backdrop for holding our
experiences and memories.

A woman sits in a chair holding a baby, with a black dog sitting beside her in a warmly lit room.
A woman sits in a chair holding a baby, with a black dog sitting beside her in a warmly lit room.

Auden, Emma and Dogs, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, 1989.

A wooden bench sits against the cabin’s green horizontal wooden siding beside an open dark wood front door; a mature oak is visible in the distance through the house.

Project: Cabin Creative, Oakland Hills.

Two museum workers hold a large framed painting of a modernist house and swimming pool with a splash of water.
Two museum workers hold a large framed painting of a modernist house and swimming pool with a splash of water.

The Splash, David Hockney, 1967.

A group of elegantly dressed people gather around a swimming pool in the landscaped grounds of a house.
A group of elegantly dressed people gather around a swimming pool in the landscaped grounds of a house.

Scone Madame?, Slim Aarons, 1960.

Beyond architectural rigor, each of us knows when a house is a home and when it is not.

A sculptural wooden chair by JB Blunk, with an organic form carved from natural wood.
Abstract landscape painting with a large dark green tree against a pink sky, with blue and green fields in the foreground.
Abstract landscape painting with a large dark green tree against a pink sky, with blue and green fields in the foreground.

Delusions, Richard Mayhew, 2000.

Renovated historic San Francisco worker's cottage with a contemporary addition at the rear.

Project: Workers Cottage Intervention, Dogpatch.

We all possess an intuitive understanding of “home” and come alive when it is activated inside of us.

A good home is made by individuals who thrive inside not just reside.

A light-colored curved sofa sits in a sunlit room surrounded by tall sheer curtains and tropical plants.
A light-colored curved sofa sits in a sunlit room surrounded by tall sheer curtains and tropical plants.

Portaluppi sofa on the veranda.

Live webcam—Golden Gate Bridge.

Handwritten blue text reads, “Visceral architecture is what we evoke and what guides our practice.”
Handwritten blue text reads, “Visceral architecture is what we evoke and what guides our practice.”

About McGriff Architects

A home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with expansive glazing and landscaped grounds.

Project: Pacific Promontory, Santa Cruz.

Tour: Pacific Promontory.

Abstract painting composed of broad, overlapping areas of black, white, ochre, rust, green, and pale turquoise.
Abstract painting composed of broad, overlapping areas of black, white, ochre, rust, green, and pale turquoise.

Berkeley #26, Richard Diebenkorn, 1954. Anderson Collection, Stanford University.

Vintage color postcard showing a cable car descending a steep San Francisco street toward the bay, with Alcatraz Island in the distance.
A family gathers around a dining table as a couple presents a large roasted turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

Freedom From Want, Norman Rockwell, 1943.

Handwritten blue text reads, “Your family is our muse.”
A view of the new interior staircase in a Georgian-style home, showing its architectural detailing and connection to the surrounding interior.

Project: Modern Georgian Portrait, Pacific Heights.

Sculptural white table with a thick rectangular top and four legs shaped like animal legs with feet.
Sculptural white table with a thick rectangular top and four legs shaped like animal legs with feet.

“Etruscan” table, John Dickinson, San Francisco, 1970s.

Vintage photograph of cars navigating San Francisco's steep, winding Lombard Street, densely planted with pink and white flowers.

Lombard Street, 1975.

Animated gif of a series of photographs of sculptural, curved wooden staircase models.
Animated gif of a series of photographs of sculptural, curved wooden staircase models.

Nineteenth-century stair maquettes.

Vivid psychedelic poster featuring a blue patterned vase filled with bright red and green flowers against a black and red background.

Victor Moscoso: Pioneer of psychedelic rock posters, San Francisco, 1960s.

We believe in homes that will continue as legacies, unique expressions of our clients that will last generations.

A cassette tape with a handwritten label that reads "Sunday Afternoon"
A man in a pale grey suit holds a small model of a house against a vivid blue background.
A man in a pale grey suit holds a small model of a house against a vivid blue background.

“This must be the place.”

Interior detail showing crown molding and a blue painted ceiling.

Project: Moderne Update, Marina.

Black-and-white photograph of a sculptural wood screen composed of repeating vertical, undulating panels.
Black-and-white photograph of a sculptural wood screen composed of repeating vertical, undulating panels.

Josef Hoffmann wood profile.

Episode 1: Reviving Spanish Revival, Piedmont, California

Piedmont’s historic homes are more than artifacts of a particular era—they are generous, enduring places that invite families to layer their own histories into them.

Read Benjamin’s essay

all stories

Project: Gallery House, Marin.

Formal interior with symmetrical architectural detailing and natural light.

Project: Restored 1900 French Provincial, Presidio Heights.

Close-up of ornate shellwork composed of overlapping seashells arranged in fan and floral patterns around a window.
Close-up of ornate shellwork composed of overlapping seashells arranged in fan and floral patterns around a window.

The word Rococo stems from rocaille (rock-work) and coquillage (shell-work).

A vintage Nepenthe restaurant menu featuring teal text on a cream paper, three-hole punched on either side of the center fold.
A vintage Nepenthe restaurant menu featuring teal text on a cream paper, three-hole punched on either side of the center fold.

Big Sur: Dine

Interior passage connecting rooms and framing views of the landscape.

Project: Distilled Norman Estate, Atherton.

People gather around a large white sculptural slide installation in a historic courtyard shaded by trees.
People gather around a large white sculptural slide installation in a historic courtyard shaded by trees.

Slide Mantra, Isamu Noguchi, Venice Biennale, 1986. 

Painting of a woman standing and a man seated with a white cat on his lap in a bright interior overlooking a balcony.
Painting of a woman standing and a man seated with a white cat on his lap in a bright interior overlooking a balcony.

Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, David Hockney, 1971.

A photograph of Deetjen’s, the rustic Big Sur inn nestled among trees in a wooded landscape.
A photograph of Deetjen’s, the rustic Big Sur inn nestled among trees in a wooded landscape.

Big Sur: Stay