Would You Live in a Firehouse?

Be prepared for one hot house: Casa Sugar's profile of Chemical Engine House 44 in San Francisco is a knockout. It also added one more fantasy to our list of dream homes: Cabana in Bali, lighthouse in Maine, garret in Paris, yurt in Morocco, houseboat on the Nile in Cairo and now, firehouse in San Francisco. This stunning four-story structure was built in 1909 and was a functioning firehouse up until 1959.

Today the team of Teutonic Construction and interior designer Josephine Fisher have renovated the space as a single-family house, and what a home it is: Four bedrooms, four full baths, two half baths, two fireplaces, a two-car garage, a roof terrace and various landscaped gardens. Much of the firehouse's charm was left intact, including the original copper doors on the front of the house. We absolutely love the industrial staircase, but we were just a tiny bit disappointed that there doesn't seem to be a fire pole in the space. Darn!
The website for the Chemical Engine House 44 has an extensive photo gallery, which details every nook and cranny of the impeccable space. The house also has a "credits" list that is so long, you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for the credits on the latest blockbuster film.

I must admit that while I am crazy for the remodel and renovation, the staging leaves something to be desired. I would have loved to see this space staged with some pieces that have a little history to them, maybe a Paul McCobb desk and vintage club chairs with some patina to them. Don't you agree?