The homeowner is an avid mountain biker.

Sink in SF Bathroom by Lesley Ray Design
Jessica Brydson

Design inspiration truly can come from any source. Take this bathroom in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom Victorian condo in San Francisco. The homeowner is obsessed with mountain biking and feels most inspired when cycling in Marin, so he wanted to pay tribute to his favorite region across the Golden Gate Bridge in his bathroom’s design.

Before and After SF Bathroom by Lesley Ray Design
“The bathroom was very dated with builder-grade, generic finishes in varying shades of beige. The client didn’t feel like the design reflected his personality at all,” Lesley says.

Jessica Brydson

“Since the client loves Marin but lives in San Francisco, his vision for the bathroom was for it to embody cycling through the Old Stage Trail in Marin in the summer months, transporting him to one of his favorite places,” explains interior designer Lesley Ray.

SF Bathroom by Lesley Ray Design
The color palette was inspired by photos and video from the homeowner’s favorite trails in Marin.

Jessica Brydson

The bathroom was originally outdated with builder-grade, generic finishes in varying shades of beige. It didn’t reflect the homeowner’s personality at all. “The client already knew he wanted the bathroom to embody his favorite trail in the summer months,” Lesley says. “I worked with him to hone in the vision; selecting exact colors for the tile to create a gradient effect and proposing the giant light fixture for the ceiling to embody the blinding sun. The light fixture was custom made in Italy to span the entire ceiling.”

Pretty much everything is new in the bathroom: tiles (both floors and walls), plumbing fixtures, vanity, toilet, mirror, and lighting. Lesley says that the biggest project was fabricating and installing the giant custom light fixture.

Bathtub Before & After in SF Bathroom by Lesley Ray Design
“We landed on the color palette by extracting colors from the photos and videos of the trail and then finding a harmonious blend between those colors and the available options from Fireclay tile,” Lesley says.

Jessica Brydson

Lesley and team used photos and videos from the client’s favorite trails as inspiration for the color scheme, especially with the Fireclay tiles chosen. “We wanted the tiles to embody a transition from the red clay redwood forest ground into the lighter dirt trail into a streak of sunshine into the water into the mossy green forest (the shower),” explains Lesley. “Once we had the tile colors selected, we laid them out and got a lamp with different-colored temperature bulbs to view the tiles to determine which was best suited for the giant “sun” fixture. We were adamant about making sure the “sun” fixture didn’t feel like a Walgreens.”

Winter SF Bathroom by Lesley Ray Design
The second bathroom is a “winter” vibe.

Jessica Brydson

While this bathroom has “summer vibes,” the other bathroom in the condo wasn’t left out and continues the theme. Lesley and team gave that one a “winter” look, inspired by the client’s favorite trails in the winter months. Gray walls are a nod to winter haze and fog, while the red clay tiles are the “forest ground” and the green concrete sink speaks to the mossy green redwood trees.

Shower in SF Bathroom by Lesley Ray Design
“After the project was complete, the client went on to further embody this design by developing his own app focused on the intersection of cycling and community,” Lesley adds.

Jessica Brydson

“He loves that the bathroom tells his story and loves that there is no other bathroom in San Francisco (possibly the country/world) that looks like it,” Lesley says of her client.

General Contractor: Perez Construction