rebuilt in 2008 by award-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano as a sustainable structure with a living roof. It is currently the greenest museum on the planet. The museum is home to nearly 40,000 animals in the Steinhart Aquarium and a 4-storey living rainforest and includes the Morrison Planetarium, the largest in the world, and the multi-user state-of-theart Project Lab. The institution’s popular “After Dark” events for adults feature an open bar, late-night bites and life music, while allowing visitors to explore the wonders of the natural world in the architectural marvel. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118 www.calacademy.org
Best for Seeing Local Architecture San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour Rick Evans gives a tour most days starting at 11 a.m. and introduces his guests to San Francisco’s most unique and beautiful downtown buildings and hidden rooftop gardens, and shares information about the city’s most famous architects who have influenced its aesthetic since the 1906 earthquake. Rick also offers private customised tours for a more tailored experience. www.architecturesf.com
Best Day Trip Napa Valley The Wine Country north of San Francisco is well worth a visit, but too vast to explore in one day. Ranging from Sonoma to Mendocino to Napa, the region is covered in countless vineyards, beautiful forests and rivers, and dotted by charming towns. If you only have a day, I recommend visiting Yountville and St. Helena. Both towns have much to offer when it comes to culinary delights, shopping and wine. Yountville is home to the world-renowned and Michelin star-rated French Laundry restaurant, which requires
reservations months ahead. But luckily the town is blessed with a number of other great restaurants, including award-winning chef Michael Chiarello’s Bottega. A unique concept was created by Ma(i)sonry, a winery collective and art gallery. It offers tastings in a historic 19th-century stone house and a landscaped sculpture garden, complete with seating around a fire pit, my personal favourite spot to enjoy an amazing glass of wine. St. Helena, just 10 miles north, is a popular destination for shoppers, foodies and wine-lovers alike. Favourite shopping spots are the Martin Showroom by fearless interior designer Erin Martin, the gourmet food emporium Dean & Deluca, and Prager Winery for amazing ports. For nourishment visit the casual eatery Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen by top chef and restaurateur Cyndy Pawlcyn, or the romantic hillside Auberge du Soleil in nearby Rutherford for a sunset view. Plus, of course, all the wineries in between. Claudia Juestel, is the founder and principal of the San Francisco based interior design firm Adeeni Design Group whose work includes projects around the United States and in London, India and on Guam. The firm is known for a cosmopolitan and eclectic approach to bespoke interiors that range from traditional to modern styles and are infused with a sense of comfort, warmth and timelessness. Claudia also serves as the Design & Architecture Editor of SFLuxe where she has had the pleasure of interviewing some of the country’s most preeminent interior designers and architects for her series “Tea With Claudia”. Her expertise ranges from design and art to hospitality, entertaining and cooking, and many of her passions are expressed on her relevant blog www.adeenidesigngroup.com/blog/articles/
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