Portrait of Home : Nob Hill
Just like Mary Bray herself, her home exudes joy and warmth. From the moment you walk through her door, your eyes jump from artwork, plants, flowers, family photos and back to more art, plants, etc. Mary Bray is originally from North Carolina but is a long-time resident of San Francisco, having moved to SF 11 years ago, in the summer of 2014. She has lived in this apartment building since 2016, hopping around 3 different apartment units in the building… even finding herself living in a stray unit on the roof when her old apartment had water damage! She landed in her current apartment in January 2021, in the height of the Covid Pandemic. Roommates have since come and gone but she has remained the long standing tenant. She’s made the space her own with gallery walls on either side of her dining table, family and friend cards on the refrigerator, and artwork throughout her space. One of my favorite artworks was created by her landlord’s young daughter, who created her own deck of playing cards, similar to Pokémon. The theme of her cards are cats, all with special powers. Mary Bray bought a bunch of them from her and framed them in her bathroom which add a fun touch to the space.
Mary Bray is an architect by trade and has a lot of creative hobbies. Her creativity is expressed in her space in all sorts of ways… from her paintings on the walls, her little clay avocado magnets, watercolor sketches, ceramics and film cameras sprinkled on her shelves. Her creativity also translates to her green thumb, which is apparent from all her plants in her space and vases filled with colorful flowers.
You’ll notice a miniature Yorkie in some of the photos, that’s Koi, Mary Bray’s old roommate’s dog. She was too cute not to photograph, especially in the golden hour light. During sunset, the light streams into her living room and bedroom, casting golden light and shadow across her space. The bedroom doors on either side of the living room open up, which allows light to stream in from the west facing windows as well. Mary Bray loves to sit on the wide window sills, looking out at the beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the rolling hills beyond.
Mary Bray loves to host and to be in the company of those she cherishes, gathering her friends in her space often. She had some of her girlfriends over during the first shoot which was a wholesome experience. The space filled with charcuterie boards, aperol spritz, candlelight, flowers, and most importantly, lots of laughter. I loved sitting around the living room chatting girl talk, laughing, and soaking in the warmth and joy that filled the space.
I’m grateful that Mary Bray invited me into her home and introduced me to her close circle of friends to capture her joyful personality and space. I hope you enjoy flipping through her lively home!
