A defunct car repair shop in San Francisco’s gritty Tenderloin neighbourhood is reborn as a Japanese-inspired bathhouse and restaurant. Husband-and-wife team Sunny Simmons and Caroline Smith have honoured the single-story building’s early 20th century bones by preserving its soaring ceilings and red bricks, while adding sloped skylights and metal beams.
Simmons, a craft builder, created custom shelving from redwood, rescued from construction sites, and Smith, an artist, hand-dyed indigo fabric panels and added sashiko stitching to hang on doorways. The result is zen reinterpreted in contemporary California style, with an eight-person hot pool, a three-tiered wood sauna, and a steam room decked out in white and black subway tiles. The wet area and the treatment rooms for massage and acupuncture are encased in original exposed bricks brimming with green plants.
‘I dreamed of recreating the ryokan experience from our travels in Japan,’ says Simmons. ‘But right here in the middle of the city.’ Even if you’re not planning on poaching and sweating, you should still drop by to admire the dining space while tucking into Onsen’s Japan-meets-California menu featuring seasonal vegetable skewers, grilled fish, and al dente rice porridge.
INFORMATION
Website
ADDRESS
466 Eddy Street
-
Revolutionary Apple icon designer Susan Kare unveils a playful jewellery and objet collaboration with Asprey StudioAsprey Studio's new collection, Esc Keys, brings digital artworks by Susan Kare to life
-
What is the role of fragrance in contemporary culture, asks a new exhibition at 10 Corso ComoMilan concept store 10 Corso Como has partnered with London creative agency System Preferences to launch Olfactory Projections 01
-
Jack White's Third Man Records opens a Paris pop-upJack White's immaculately-branded record store will set up shop in the 9th arrondissement this weekend
-
A local’s guide to Los Angeles by defiant artist Fawn RogersOregon-born, LA-based artist Fawn Rogers gives us a personal tour of her adopted city as it hosts its sixth edition of Frieze
-
Enter Marea Beverly Hills, an Italian restaurant with Californian gustoConceptualised by Nusla Design and led by chef PJ Calapa, Marea Beverly Hills brings in a sophisticated dining party ambience to flourishing Camden Drive
-
Enchanting culinary entertainment awaits at this fine dining restaurant in Santa MonicaChef Dave Beran returns to his fine dining origins with Seline on Main Street, not far from his French-themed Pasjoli
-
New York restaurant Manuela masters the art of contemporary diningThe latest restaurant from Hauser & Wirth’s hospitality arm, Manuela offers a masterclass in nourishing connections
-
Milanese modernism meets Eastside cool at this LA pizza parlourWildcrust dishes up Neapolitan flavours courtesy of chef Miles Okabayashi, and seductive interiors by Jared Frank Studio
-
New York restaurant Locanda Verde’s second outpost will transport you to a different time and placeLocanda Verde’s expansive new Hudson Yards osteria exudes a sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere overflowing with art treasures
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
The most whimsical hotel Christmas trees around the worldWe round up the best hotel Christmas tree collaborations of the year, from an abstract take in Madrid to a heritage-rooted installation in Amsterdam
