From the outside, 1698 Armstrong Ave. is a mostly nondescript gray corner building in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood.
The only hint of what’s inside: the ornate plasterwork that lines the front door, roof line and windows.
Those details reflect the home’s history. Built in 1924, the property originally served as a home and studio for an Italian sculptor known for his plasterwork throughout the city — and in his own home.
Most recently, in 2017, the residence came into the possession of Antonio Martins, an interior designer whose work can be found worldwide.
"It was dated," explained Lamisse Droubi, a real estate agent with City Real Estate. "The house felt old in a way that wasn't like high design, but I think he had a vision for it, which was he saw the bones were there."
For the last eight years, Martins has worked to restore the property and infuse his own sense of style. Now, though, he’s retiring and moving to Portugal full-time, so he’s selling his San Francisco pad.
The 2,000-square-foot home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms hit the market earlier this month, according to a listing on Homes.com. It’s asking approximately $1.6 million.
Selling an artist's enclave to another artist
As it is today, the home is an embodiment of Martins.
The entryway has large tiles that were originally featured in the San Francisco Decorator Showcase in 2014. The living room displays Martins’ personal collection of portraits. The guest room centerpiece is a family four-poster bed. And in his own bedroom: a 17th-century tapestry hangs above the bed.
Apart from the tiles — which could be negotiated in a sale — none of those design features will come with the home. But Droubi said the character of the home extends beyond those details to more permanent features, including light fixtures and the wood closet.
“The closet with all the wooden drawers and pieces,” she said, “that was an original piece that [Martins] then had his woodworker come and build drawers and install around what was original.”
There are also the bigger renovations Martins oversaw: like transforming the downstairs floor, making one garage an art studio and developing another space into an open-floor plan area where he hosts shows and parties.
It’s those updates that really lend the property to use by another artist, especially someone looking for a space to live and work, according to Droubi.
“The people that have been attracted to the property thus far have all been artists of some sort or have an artist background and understand the way the space works and maybe need kind of a workspace and a living space,” she added.
And more than the home itself, there’s also a draw to live in the Bayview neighborhood, an urban hotspot for artists, especially at what Droubi says is a relatively reasonable price in the region.
“$1.6 million is a lot of money,” she said. “I understand that, but in San Francisco it’s very hard to purchase this amount of square footage and this type of product for that price.”