San Francisco Luxury Loft Centered Around Converted Shipping Containers Asks $4.9M
Above the designer rug store Flor in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood, there’s an industrial loft asking $4.995 million. That doesn’t particularly stand out in San Fran’s current housing market. What does stand out is what you find inside the residence.
Two stacked shipping containers.
Owners Jeff Wardell and Claudia Sagan purchased the 3,200-square-foot space, once a laundromat and tooth-powder factory, in 2007 as a home for themselves and their extensive art collection. Some design decisions were easy. They wanted the master bedroom toward the rear of the building and an open living plan that connected most of the rooms. The big concern was how they would find space for a home office and guest bedroom without ruining that flow. After considering bringing in the interior compartment of a Pullman train car, they eventually decided on using converted shipping containers.
Because this is the Bay Area, the shipping containers were locally-sourced. They chose them from the Port of Oakland and had the containers treated and cleaned in 2008. A furniture designer and builder helped them craft the structures into distinct, livable rooms. Both containers now evoke the feeling of being inside a train car or ship cabin, albeit with a bit more comfort. Privacy concerns led to the installation of a liquid crystal wall in the guest bath that changes to opaque when you need it to.
Lest you think the entire story here is the containers, this place also includes three total beds, two roof decks, a Japanese hot tub/shower, catamaran hammock, and dumbwaiter.
