Framing picture-perfect views

Bay Bridge visible from Telegraph Hill home

Oz Erickson pines for the views at 1400-1404 Montgomery St., a contemporary five-level on the eastern slope of Telegraph Hill that recently went on the market. His nostalgia says something, as he’s seen plenty of striking vistas in his time developing offices and residential buildings across San Francisco since the early 1980s.

“The views in that building are among the best in San Francisco,” he says. “They’re extraordinary, and every floor has views.”

The listing includes a fourbedroom main residence and a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. There are three terraces, three French marble fireplaces, a spiral staircase and

an elevator that makes a stop at the three-car garage level. Solar panels power the home that includes radiant heating and built-in audio.

Scene-stealing outlooks of Alcatraz and boats bobbing atop the bay have been enhanced by Erickson’s renovation, a laborious process that included installing steel support beams within the back of the building.

The structural reinforcement allowed Erickson to raise the window heights in the owners’ suite, living room and kitchen, bringing the views from the water to the tips of the Transamerica Building and the Salesforce Tower into the home itself.

“It was a huge project. We had a crew of 18 people in there for about 5 months,” Erickson said.

Offering a reverse floor plan, the home situates its public rooms on the top levels. The fifth floor and its flowing layout is designed for entertaining and sharing. A marble island with waterfall edges and bar counter anchors a chef’s kitchen, while the herringbonepatterned hardwood flooring lines a living area with a wet bar, fireplace and built-in shelving.

The western side of the top floor great room leads to a rectangular terrace dotted by skylights, while the eastern side opens out to the view terrace with a fire pit. The extraordinary bay views are colorful and dynamic, with oceangoing ships, tugs, and ferries. To top it off, from dusk to dawn, the home has arguably the city’s best views of the beautiful Bay Bridge and Salesforce Tower light displays by renowned light sculpture artist Leo Villarreal.

In addition to the spectacular views, the home basks in one of the city’s friendliest microclimates.

“This is a really special location, and it’s in one of the best weather areas in the city,” said Dianne Weaver of Alain Pinel Real Estate, who is listing the home for $8.99 million. “When other parts of the city are surrounded by fog and wind, it is warmer and brighter on the eastern slope of Telegraph Hill.”

For full details, visit

www.1400montgomery.com.

DANIEL LUNGHI PHOTOGRAPHY the dining area at 1400-1404 Montgomery st. in telegraph Hill opens to a roof deck with a glass railing and fire pit.

PHOTOS BY DANIEL LUNGHI PHOTOGRAPHY Above left: Built-ins flank the great room’s fireplace, and the room is accessed by both an elevator and the home’s spiral staircase. Above right: The spiral staircase connects all five levels of the Telegraph Hill residence at 1400-1404 Montgomery St. The main home features four bedrooms and there is a two-bedroom apartment.

The kitchen features dual ovens, a pot filler, custom cabinetry and a five-burner cooktop.

PHOTOS BY DANIEL LUNGHI PHOTOGRAPHY Above: The roof deck at 1400-1404 Montgomery St. in Telegraph Hill features a gas fire pit and looks out at the Bay Bridge. Below left: The owner’s suite resides on the third level and includes a sitting area and bay views. Below right: This spacious bedroom suite includes a wood-burning fireplace, built-in storage and a work station. The five-level home is listed for $8.99 million.