The high life

The sort of lifestyle that includes a live-in chef, butler, cleaner and nanny seems to belong to a past era, when affluent aristocrats could afford to maintain a full household staff. But in pockets around the world, people are starting to rediscover such a lifestyle with a twist.

Rather than each private residence maintaining its own staff, a trend has emerged towards apartment complexes that are serviced by shared staff. Offering far more than a mere turndown service and complementary chocolate, these apartments allow owners to lead a life of luxury in which every desire is taken care of from stocking the fridge with caviar to securing a first-edition Hemingway for the library.

These are among the many services available to apartment owners at San Francisco's St Regis Residences. General manager Elias Assaly says there has been plenty of interest in the concept, known worldwide as five-star living.

"We'd been talking about it for a few years, and met many people who said they'd love to live this way. It offers people a home where they don't have to worry about any of the details it's all taken care of," says Assaly.

Residents can have staff organise a party, cook a romantic dinner for two, baby-sit children, or organise alterations to your cocktail gown.

"It's also important to get to know the residents. For example, if you normally leave for work at 8am, we'll know that, and have your car ready for you."

Assaly says the concept appeals to retired people who want a simple, yet pampered lifestyle. On the opposite end of the scale, it's also attractive to young executives who will only live in San Francisco for a few years before moving on, and want a central, hassle-free apartment.

The 102 private residences are housed within a 40-storey tower, designed by architectural firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill.

The building was designed to take advantage of San Francisco's unique light. It tapers in towards the top, and is topped by two layers of translucent glass that reflect light differently throughout the day. Sandblasted concrete threads run up the building, gleaming and glistening in direct sunlight.

Located in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens area, the Residences are in the heart of the city, close to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, shopping destinations at Union Square, restaurants and the city's financial district.

Several of the apartment interiors, including the apartment on these pages, were designed by The Wiseman Group. Interior designer Paul Wiseman says it was important the interiors matched the contemporary nature of the building.

"It's an ultramodern building, so overly traditional interiors would have looked silly.

"At the same time, we didn't want the interiors to look too slick, so we went for a traditionally referenced look with clean, modern lines," he says

It also had to be extremely luxurious to match the expectations of the owners.

In order to make the most of the apartment's panoramic views of the financial district and San Francisco bay, a subdued palette of creams, pinks and browns was chosen. This meant it was important to create interest through use of texture. Smooth velvet is used next to shiny satin, and patterned fabrics are juxtaposed with plain.

Furniture is a mixture of pieces custom designed by The Wiseman Group and antique Chinese furniture.

"San Francisco is right on the Pacific rim, so it made sense to have an Asian undercurrent running through the design," says Wiseman.

Much of the furniture features soft, curving lines, to contrast with the angularity of the building. The building's modern design means rooms are not square, so furniture layout was a challenge.

Wiseman took a minimal approach to the lighting design.

"Too much recessed lighting looks like an airport landing strip. Using table and floor lamps allows the owners to create the perfect atmosphere for each situation."

Story by: Trendsideas