The St. Francis Wood Salon at 1365 Portola Drive, hosted by Udi and Guy Ledergor, was designed by architect George Ikeda in the 1970s as part of the St. Francis Wood residential park established in 1912. On heavily-forested land remote from downtown San Francisco, the Mason-McDuffie Company sought to create a residence park that embodied the highest ideals of early twentieth century landscaping and architecture. The "City Beautiful" movement, popularized by heralded landscape architect and planner Daniel Burnham, influenced the community plan. Landscape features meant to be "reminiscent of the loveliest gardens of the Italian Renaissance" ornamented the grounds, including an elaborate gateway and two fountains on the main arterial, St. Francis Boulevard. The famed landscape firm Olmsted Brothers laid out the curvilinear street plan. John Galen Howard acted as the first supervising architect, designing the elaborate lampposts, brick-diamond sidewalks, entryway pillars, and the main gate and first fountain. Henry Gutterson soon succeeded Howard, and designed the monumental upper fountain and numerous houses over the next three decades. The house on 1365 Portola Drive went through several owners and design updates, including its "Chinese Palace" phase, which included a fish pond in its backyard, to its current modern family home design.
