House Call: A Pleasantly Haunted Oakland Home

Photography by Mimi Giboin

When Jamie Kidson -- co-owner of one of our favorite stores, Atomic Garden -- moved into her hacienda-style Oakland home, the mark of the previous owner was everywhere. Grace Bush, who built the house in 1935, brought in artisans, woodworks, and ironworkers to customize the interiors - Kidson chose to retain her orignal flair. 

A portrait above an antique telephone in the living room.

The living room features rich red velvet sofas and dark-stained wood furniture.

An original fixture (Kidson kept all the original lighting throughout the house) hangs above a leather and velvet sofa.

An 18th-century painting from the school of Van Dyck that fell out of the high-end auctions: “I picked it up at the second-tier collections,” Kidson says. “She’s the grand dame of the house.”

The second part of the kitchen is the working kitchen, where the cooking happens and the large refrigerator lives.

The part of the kitchen that traditionally served as the breakfast room was renovated by Kidson.

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