George Homsey, one of the architects behind Sea Ranch, was living in San Francisco when he started working on the now-legendary pioneering modernist architecture community in California. His home, set in Liberty Park, is an important example of The Third Bay Tradition; and now, for the first time since the architect's death in 2019, it has been rephotographed and its interiors seen by the public as it goes on the market.
Inside George Homsey's home in San Francisco
Built in 1961 on a sloped site, the house is made of organic shapes in natural materials – an indication of the explorations Homsey was delving into while working as an associate at the firm of famed Bay Area architect Joseph Esherick (more studios involved in making Sea Ranch were landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, and Charles Moore, Donlyn Lyndon, William Turnbull and Richard Whittaker – collectively MLTW).
The house, created for locally born Homsey and his family, is surrounded by trees, the site being a couple of blocks west of Dolores Park. Still belonging to the family, the structure is a remarkably preserved piece of modernist architecture - both externally and internally.
In tune with The Third Bay Tradition that guides the architecture at Sea Ranch too, the house features organic-inspired asymmetric forms. Inside, double heights and plenty of openings that bathe the interior in natural light define the atmosphere. Architect Charles Moore described the style as an 'instant tradition of shed-roofed, free-windows, sliced cubistic forms'.
Internally, rough-sawn Douglas fir wall cladding and framed views of San Francisco dominate. The ground floor includes the entrance hall, dining room, kitchen, garden room, and living room. A separate double-height volume connects these areas with Homsey's studio space upstairs.
Apart from this study, the upper level contains two bedrooms, a bathroom, a half bath, and the primary suite with dressing rooms and its own backyard access. A lower level floor hosts a flexible 'hobby' room.
-
Architecture and the new world: The Brutalist reframes the American dreamBrady Corbet’s third feature film, The Brutalist, demonstrates how violence is a building block for ideology
-
Danish manufacturer Zenvo Automotive’s Aurora is the true enthusiast’s hybrid hypercarZenvo Automotive dovetails Danish design culture with a love of high-end engineering and exceptional performance. We talk to the company’s Jens Sverdrup about its newest machine, the Aurora
-
Taking off? XPeng Aero HT promises world’s first all-electric ‘Land Aircraft Carrier’Six wheels, six rotors, four seats and an aesthetic that bests even the boldest futurologist – Chinese manufacturer XPeng looks to the skies with this truck and its onboard flying machine
-
The case of the Ontario Science Centre: a 20th-century architecture classic facing an uncertain futureThe Ontario Science Centre by Raymond Moriyama is in danger; we look at the legacy and predicament of this 20th-century Toronto gem
-
A Texas ranch house blends Californian charm and Asian minimalism in a 'balance in hybridity'Pontious, a Texas ranch house designed by OWIU, is a home grounded in its owner's cultural identity, uniting Californian, Chinese and Japanese roots
-
Alvar Aalto: our ultimate guide to architecture's father of gentle modernismAlvar Aalto defined midcentury – and Finnish – architecture like no other, creating his own, distinctive brand of gentle modernism; honouring him, we compiled the ultimate guide
-
Design Awards 2025: Alvar Aalto's Finlandia Hall is a modernist gem reborn through sustainability and accessibilityHelsinki's Finlandia Hall, an Alvar Aalto landmark design, has been reborn - highlighting sustainability and accessibility in a new chapter for the modernist classic
-
The three lives of the Edith Farnsworth House: now, a modernist architecture icon open to allThe modernist Edith Farnsworth House has had three lives since its conception in 1951 by Mies van der Rohe; the latest is a sensitive renovation, and it's open to the public
-
Year in review: the top 12 houses of 2024, picked by architecture director Ellie StathakiThe top 12 houses of 2024 comprise our finest and most read residential posts of the year, compiled by Wallpaper* architecture & environment director Ellie Stathaki
-
A revamped Edinburgh apartment combines Californian-style modernism with modern craftArcher + Braun have transformed an apartment in a historic house with finely tuned contemporary additions and sympathetic attention to detail
-
A vacant Tribeca penthouse is transformed into a bright, contemporary eyrieA Tribeca penthouse is elevated by Peterson Rich Office, who redesigned it by adding a sculptural staircase and openings to the large terrace
