San Francisco Bay Showdown

Hello, San Francisco! This season, we landed in one of the hottest real estate markets in the country. We reinstated the traditional Brother vs. Brother rules: We each buy, renovate, and sell a property, and the brother with the biggest net profit wins, with all proceeds going to charity. This time around, we added an extra layer to our brotherly competition. Because houses sell so quickly in the Bay Area, we bought ours online, sight unseen—unprecedented craziness for Brother vs. Brother!

For our first challenge of Season 6, we tackled the living room and entryway of our homes. Read on to learn about our inspiration and the design details we’re particularly proud of.

BVB S6E1

Click here to see all of the items featured in this episode!

Drew’s Canyon House

Underneath layers of stinkiness and an incredibly stubborn rock wall, this living room had tons of family-friendly potential. I took advantage of the room’s vaulted ceiling, replaced that rock wall with a modern fireplace insert, and installed wide-plank hardwood flooring and an energy-efficient window.

Drew’s Before & After

Drew’s Inspiration

Drew’s Design Highlights

WELCOMING WALLPAPER

A bold accent wall in the foyer is the perfect welcome note. This dark blue beauty has a simple gold geometric pattern that complements the circular accent mirror and sconces from Wayfair.

STATEMENT SOFAS

I knew I needed a pair of showstopping leather sofas for the living room, and I had a few other specifications in mind: sleek with clean lines but also rich and warm with a neutral tone. Found ’em! These Dwell Studio sofas provide casual luxury, and the chunky white merino throw is just begging to be curled up with.

HIGHLIGHT SKYLIGHT

When one chimney closes, a solar-powered skylight opens…? Houses that are situated in a valley need as much natural light as possible, so we worked with Royalite Manufacturing to transform the original chimney into a remote-controlled skylight. The result: more light, more value, more cool factor.

Keep in Touch with Us

Get tips, product updates, and inspiration from Drew and Jonathan.

Email(Required)

Team Drew

Local construction support: Jason Bliss & Scott Bliss of Benchmark Construction
Local design support: Laura Martin Bovard of LMB Interiors

Jonathan’s Hilltop House

My house’s first impression needed to go from “ew” to “wow!” So I reshuffled the layout a bit to bring the living room up front, instead of immediately walking into the outdated kitchen. (Those vaulted ceilings were made for a living space.) Also high on my to-do list: installing an energy-efficient window to keep heating and cooling costs down.

Jonathan’s Before & After

Jonathan’s Inspiration

Jonathan’s Design Highlights

LUSCIOUS LIVING WALL

It doesn’t get more eco-chic than this. Preserved living walls are a unique combination of hanging decor and zero-maintenance greenery (since their sap is replaced with glycerin), and I wanted one to anchor the wall opposite the front door. I worked with Planted Design’s Amanda Goldberg to create this stunning masterpiece in deep purples, reds, and various shades of green…and I’m extremely envious of this house’s eventual buyer, who gets to keep it!

A CORKY IDEA

While the living wall is a “look at me!” kind of eco-friendly design, the flooring is a more subtle take on going green. Cork is a sustainable material, meaning it’s harvested without disrupting or depleting natural resources. These particular cork planks are durable, easy to install, and look super sophisticated.

MASTER PLASTER

I added modern flair to the room with a sleek fireplace insert and a custom plaster wall—yep, that’s not actually cement! San Francisco–based McKenna Plastering whipped up this magical, smooth-as-ice plaster that looks exactly like concrete finish. Along with the living wall, it grabs your eye right when you walk in the door.

Local construction support: Bob McLaughlin of McLaughlin Renovations
Local design support: Pamela Lin of Urbanism Designs