Ryan Leidner Architecture completed the 2,500-square-foot (230-square metre) Hosono House in 2021, cladding the house in charcoal-stained cedar siding with a copper, standing seam roof.The original structure was built at the rear of a steeply sloped 2750-square-foot (255-square-metre) lot, giving the home a unique sense of privacy and a feeling of being a true retreat.During an initial walkthrough with the clients, founding principal Ryan Leidner threw out a "crazy idea" – to redirect access from the street to a new front door with a bridge.The bridge would span the lush front garden and connect to the house between the top and middle stories.

The studio rebuilt the front facade – now marked by a circular pivot window that replaced a leaking solarium – gutted the interior and rearranged spaces.Wanting to preserve the historic character of the house, the existing wood beams and ceiling were refinished and left exposed while all of the original windows, floors and finishes were replaced, creating a greater sense of material continuity throughout the house.

The subtle palette of natural wood tones and white surfaces allows the interior spaces to serve as a canvas for the owners' affinity for design.The interior spaces are filled with a mix of vintage Italian furnishings and custom pieces, while the overall sensibility of the space was inspired by trips to Norway and Japan, and the ethos of Californian hippie modernism.

The top-floor kitchen, living and dining areas enjoy sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline through a variety of window shapes.Plant-filled niches that reference 1960s and 70s Italian projects surround a space that holds accent furniture including a custom Nobuto Suga dining table, vintage Guido Faleschini chairs and a Gae Aulenti armchair.

The second floor contains two bedrooms, a Venetian-plastered primary bathroom and a lounge space inspired by a Tokyo whiskey bar with warm wide-plank white oak and a custom velvet daybed.A large opening in the lounge leads to the lower courtyard, which was reimagined by landscape architect Stephen Design Studio.