In renovating the brutal stucco facade of this two-unit building, we considered how it might have originally looked and rebuilt it into a classic Flat-fronted Italianate, which was in vogue in 1860s San Francisco. For the stairway, we reimagined it as a modern sculptural object that juxtaposes with the historical building in both color and style. While the guardrails are made of solid steel panels, the stairs and landings are perforated to filter views and light around the central “tree trunk” steel structure. We also tapered the driveway to make it wider and to accommodate a larger garage door. The building’s color palette of white, grays, and blues is inspired by the paintings of Cy Twombly, Sol LeWitt, and Agnes Martin.