Originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle
In the heart of West Berkeley’s warehouse district, just behind the bustle of the Fourth Street shops, lies a quiet, eclectic neighborhood where bungalows and breweries, gravel companies and galleries all mingle. There, jewelry designer April Higashi lives in a three-level live-work condo, with her Shibumi Gallery on the bottom floor.
The building resembles a tall shipping container. It was revamped by two artists, “so it’s an artist’s version of what a live-work space might look like rather than a contractor’s,” she says. That means this is no cookie-cutter home but rather a modern, modular layout that can accommodate many uses: gallery events, houseguests, large parties for brunches and birthdays. Cozy bedrooms sit within large, open spaces without traditional hallway transitions; tons of natural light flows from top to bottom. A hidden staircase connects each level without obstructing any central view.
Shibumi means “a subtle, unobtrusive and deeply moving beauty,” and you can say that is true about the space and its owner. Inspired by organic forms, ancient objects and, more recently, stones, Higashi’s aesthetic feels plucked from nature. At the gallery entrance are two ’60s-inspired metal-and-wood doors designed by Higashi and her ex-husband, metal sculptor Eric Powell, with whom she amicably co-parents their 6-year-old son, Ando. Inside, white gallery walls are anchored by concrete floors stained a rich bronze color reminiscent of a sake factory she visited in Japan.
Higashi is a fourth-generation Japanese American. Her family is from Oahu, Hawaii, which April and Ando consider their second home. Voted “least likely to be from Utah” in her high school, she left her home state for San Francisco at the age of 18. She received a bachelor of fine arts in textiles and fine arts from the University of San Francisco and went on to work in the fashion industry, including as an art director for the Jerry Garcia estate.
The jewelry gallery opens into Higashi’s work studio, which is filled with tiny tools neatly stored on a row of worktables. Having created three jobs for herself — jeweler, gallerist and mother — April spends her time designing, collaborating with clients and seeking out new talent while also raising her son.
Work-life balance in a work-live space proves to be a challenge at times. “It’s hard to ever feel caught up and find pure creative time while running my business,” she says. Thankfully, she’s surrounded herself with a creative community made up of her small staff, loyal clients and artist friends from the neighborhood. “I find I am very fortunate to have people around me with mutual interests and aesthetics.”
Beyond her workroom is a large open space that feels like an extension of the yard behind it. Here, she has hosted friends in need of a place to crash; lectures from local artists; and gallery openings, including Ando’s first art opening. She and her son share adjacent worktables with inspirations tacked on the wall, including a Ruth Asawa painting, botanical drawings by Ernst Haeckel and Ando’s latest drawings of samurais and robots. Higashi’s desk resembles a museum display, every stone and metal tool placed with such purpose that nothing seems out of place. “With the gallery, I care very much about the way pieces are displayed,” she says. “I would say that carries over into my home.” Her “cabinet of curiosities” on the second floor is a turn-of-the century piece filled with small mementos like her son’s umbilical cord (which six years later looks like a tiny sculpture) and her Japanese American grandfather Tutu’s passport. “Someone once told me that what they liked most about visiting Japan is that everything is considered,” she recalls. “I thought that was such a nice intention to bring into your life.”
The living space on the second floor feels modern and moody with furniture sourced mostly from flea markets and midcentury shops: Paulo Mendes da Rocha leather chairs that she re-dyed, a cotton-linen blend sofa from Restoration Hardware that feels modern but still kid-friendly, handcrafted wood coffee table and furry stool by Woodsport furniture maker Scott Mcglasson and Powell’s metal sculpture on the walls.
Climbing another set of stairs, perched on top of the maze of rooms on the two lower floors, is one sanctuary room with enough space for a bed (that is often shared with her aging Siamese cat). “The top floor is my very small bedroom, which feels like a nest where I can get away from it all,” Higashi says as she takes a moment to relish the calm away from staff awaiting direction on the first floor, a boyfriend awaiting some company on the second and her sweet, chatty son who is expected to return home any minute.
The live-work cheat sheet
Living with kids
Higashi believes that kids learn how to be respectful if they understand that objects can be broken and need to be handled with care. “My son knows what ‘gallery hands’ are,” she says, “which means that you keep them behind your back or in your pocket and ask to touch things.” Ando makes sure to inform his friends of this rule when they come over. Still, if anything breaks, Higashi, who admits to being unsentimental about things, says, “My relationship with him is more important.”
Getting advice from friends
Rather than splurge on new decor, consider simply rearranging your space with the help of a few friends whose design sense you trust. When she’s feeling in a design rut, Higashi invites friends over to help her refresh the space. “It will feel uncomfortable giving them control of my space and I might end up moving it back. But I like to see how other people see things. It gets me out of my comfort zone.”
Containing little treasures
“Keep things around you that you really love and be able to let things go that you don’t love anymore,” Higashi says. Displaying important collections in glass cabinets, window boxes or on a designated table creates a mini gallery for guests to admire.
Balancing work-home life
While she admits that it can be a challenge to run a business at home, it helps to have a big support team, which allows Higashi to raise her son and see clients — and not have to do everything. Her part-time staff of eight has proven to be the ideal number. “On the flip side, when I have staffing issues it’s really hard.”
Thinking outside the door
In Higashi’s bedroom were two doors leading to a bath and a closet. She pulled them out and replaced them with indigo patchwork textiles that she found on a trip to Japan for her assistant’s wedding. It makes the small space feel airy and light, and since it’s all hers, the lack of a little privacy isn’t an issue.