Home Is Only The Half of It: Meet Andrew + Rachel
At Serif, every home tells a different story. For homeowners Andrew and Rachel, that story begins with a shared appreciation for thoughtful design, urban energy, and a home that keeps them connected to everything they love about San Francisco. Together with their dog Pepper, they found exactly that in their spacious one-bedroom residence overlooking Market Street—a home filled with morning light, city views, and a front-row seat to the energy of Mid-Market and San Francisco’s Theatre District.
Their residence is an expression of everything that drew them to Serif in the first place: award-winning architecture, contemporary design, and a location that places the best of San Francisco within easy reach. From their oversized windows, they enjoy one of their favorite daily rituals—settling onto the window ledge to watch the city unfold below.
“For us, there were quite a few factors that made Serif a great place. It’s super centrally located, so we have the option to get to work easily while also having access to some of the best restaurants and bars within walking distance. It’s very common for us to just go out on a stroll and find a new restaurant every week! Having BART access within a two-minute walk also makes it super easy to jump to any other neighborhood in the Bay Area. We are big fans of taking transit to get to other interesting places and visiting our friends.”
“We love good design, so the architecture of the building is such a joy to come home to every day. The exterior is an amazing contemporary nod to flatiron buildings, such as the Flatiron at Fourth and Market, and the interior units have a great flow, with amazingly large windows that make it easy to enjoy sun. We’ve seen so many parades on Market Street from our window!”
“The building has everything we need to live comfortably! The integration with the hotel and coffee shop makes it easy to start the morning with a great cup of coffee while having some additional third spaces to work from home. The rooftop is an excellent outdoor space with great views of the downtown skyline, and of course, having things such as a gym on-site, and a dog run, makes it easy for dog owners like ourselves.”
Andrew and Rachel’s home reflects an approach to design that is both intentional and joyful. While the architecture provides a clean, contemporary foundation, they’ve layered the space with color, personality, and pieces collected over time. Rather than rushing to fill every wall, they’ve embraced the idea that a home is something that evolves.
“We definitely have an appreciation for contemporary design. In our current iteration, we love pops of bold color to make things interesting. We try to avoid the washed-out millennial pale that tends to prevail in a lot of homes these days. Inside our home, you’ll find interesting pieces such as our iridescent coffee table. That said, we love the inherent design of the unit and wanted to respect its design principles, so we opted to continue with clean lines and clear shapes, mainly focusing on circles and rectangles.”
“In terms of materials, we’ve focused on neutrals that also align with the space, such as oak, solid black/white/grey, which allows our colored, accented possessions to really stand out. We are slowly building out a Gallery Wall with fun prints from artists we like. One of my favorite quirky prints is from a local artist. We stumbled upon an artist selling her prints on College Ave in Rockridge, and it’s a drawing of the cable car, but as a watermelon.”
Their growing gallery wall, playful artwork, and carefully selected furnishings create a residence that feels both sophisticated and deeply personal. Like the city itself, it’s a space filled with discovery, character, and unexpected moments.
While their residence serves as the backdrop for everyday life, some of Andrew and Rachel’s favorite moments happen upstairs. The rooftop has become an extension of home—a place for quiet reflection, sunset gatherings, grilling with friends, and enjoying San Francisco from a different perspective.
“We use the roof in so many different ways. We go to the corner of the building; we call it the pointy end, to do some meditation. We love to finish the day sitting by the fire pit enjoying the sunset and we use the grill on the roof to cook.”
“We also love to host our friends in the Serif Solarium. One of our favorite things is to have the solarium doors fully open on a nice, sunny day, enjoying a nice indoor-outdoor flow. We call it peak-California-living. The quality of the light filtering through the trees can’t be beat.”
Whether gathered around the kitchen island sharing a favorite mezcal, grilling on the rooftop, or enjoying a sunny afternoon in the solarium, they’ve embraced Serif’s ability to bring people together.
One of the biggest surprises for Andrew and Rachel hasn’t been the architecture, the views, or even the location, it’s been the community they’ve found here at Serif.
“We can confidently say that some of our neighbors are already friends. A lot of folks here are forward-thinking young professionals or students and older folks looking to retire or move back to the city. This creates such a lively, eclectic mix of people with such interesting backgrounds from cities, states, and countries near and far. We also have a great community of some of the cutest dogs in the neighborhood.”
It’s a sentiment we hear often from Serif homeowners. While the residences provide a beautiful place to live, it’s the connections, shared experiences, and community that make life here remarkably special.
For Andrew, Rachel, and Pepper, Serif is more than a home overlooking Market Street. It’s a place to create, entertain, connect, and experience San Francisco from the center of it all.
Because at Serif, home is only the half of it.