designchicagomag.com designchicagomag.com 44 DESIGN CHICAGO THE MART JENNY MAGDOL AND STEFFIE OEHM OF ALTER INTERIORS BRING A HINT OF BRITISH CHARM TO THIS SPANISH REVIVAL HOME. W R I T T E N B Y K E L S E Y M U LV E Y P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S U Z A N N A S C O T T AFFAIRS Global n the world of interior design, opposites don’t just attract. Juxtaposing elements can spark inspiration and lay the groundwork for truly personalized design palette. Such was the case for Jenny Magdol and Steffie Oehm of ALTER Interiors, a San Francisco–based firm that was tapped to put the finishing touches on a family home near the city’s Buena Vista Park. After spending a few years in London, the firm’s clients returned to the Bay Area and wanted to create living spaces that felt authentic to their experiences: something that was rife with British inspiration but didn’t feel out of place against the home’s Spanish Revival architecture. “They wanted to consider the architecture, which was also a requirement for us,” Oehm shares. “We wouldn’t do something that doesn’t talk to the architecture at all.” Magdol and Oehm employed a thoughtful use of pattern, texture, and vintage details to blend two cultures under one roof. Step inside the foyer of the 2,619-square-foot residence and you’ll spot a rare 1940s Arturo Pani wingback lounge chair, which has curved details that echo the house’s softly sculptured plaster arches. A whimsical light fixture above plays up the stairwell’s wrought-iron railings, while an antique Spanish pine wood dresser blends and function. “There was no place to put a closet, so we came up with was this beautiful dresser,” Magdol explains. “Each family member has their own drawer, and that’s where their shoes are stored.” Antiques and soft silhouettes play up the space’s architecture, but the design duo took a more calculated I For this San Francisco project, Jenny Magdol and Steffie Oehm of ALTER Interiors bring a British charm to this Spanish Revival residence. This mint green kitchen is equipped with Gaggenau appliances and a custom breakfast nook for well- appointed practicality.