Belvedere Waterfront Home Featured in Ocean Home
In the Press | Ocean Home | January 26, 2024
San Francisco-based luxury interior design firm ballonSTUDIO and founder Sabra Ballon were featured in Ocean Homein the article “San Francisco Bay Home Serves Up Scandinavian Style and Spectacular Views,” written by J. Michael Welton.
The feature highlights a contemporary waterfront residence on Belvedere Island in Marin County, California, designed by Butler Armsden Architects, with interior design, furnishings, and artwork by ballonSTUDIO. Photographed by Jason O'Rear, the 3,500-square-foot home combines Scandinavian minimalism, natural materials, and panoramic views of San Francisco Bay.
Working with architect Federico Engel of Butler Armsden Architects, Ballon developed an interior design approach that complements the home's contemporary architecture and responds to the client's Scandinavian heritage. Leather, wool, cotton, stone, and solid wood furnishings introduce natural texture and warmth while maintaining a refined, understated aesthetic.
In the article, Ballon explains how the furniture was selected to support the architecture rather than compete with it:
“There's a minimalism, and the building comes first—the furniture is there to sit on, and it's a continuation of the architecture.”
Throughout the Belvedere residence, thoughtfully selected furnishings, natural textiles, and restrained decorative elements create a balance between comfort, simplicity, and architectural clarity.
In the primary bedroom, custom furniture arrangements preserve views of the bay, while large-scale textiles provide color, texture, and visual interest without overwhelming the space. The result is a sophisticated waterfront interior that places the surrounding landscape at the center of the living experience.
The project demonstrates ballonSTUDIO's expertise in luxury residential interior design in Belvedere, Tiburon, and the greater San Francisco Bay Area, particularly in homes that require close collaboration between architecture, interiors, furnishings, and the natural environment.
View The Belvedere, Tiburon Project
Read the full feature in Ocean Home
About ballonSTUDIO
Founded in 2003 by Sabra Ballon, ballonSTUDIO is a San Francisco luxury interior design firm specializing in high-end residential design, interior architecture, renovations, new construction, and boutique commercial and hospitality spaces. Known for its earthy modernism, fine art integration, and architecture-led approach, the studio creates timeless, highly personalized interiors for private homeowners, families, and estate clients. Serving San Francisco, Marin County, Palo Alto, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel and Lake Tahoe, ballonSTUDIO combines more than 20 years of design expertise with discreet, highly collaborative, full-service project management from concept through installation.
