Every week, our House Calls feature takes you into homes with great style, big personality, and ineffable soul. Today we visit the San Francisco home of artist and art director George McCalman. For him, creating a place for himself was an act of healing and community building. Two years ago, George McCalman found himself living alone for the first time in many years and grieving the end of a long-term relationship. His road to recovery involved reimagining the apartment he had shared with his partner and reinvigorating his three community-building groups.
McCalman?s journey to the one-bedroom unit?which is tucked into an Edwardian dwelling on a narrow street?is circuitous and (seemingly) charmed. Prior to his occupancy, it was rented by his friend and her boyfriend. "When she applied to live there, I provided a reference letter for her," he says. "I always loved the place, and I would joke with her, telling her that when she died, I wanted the apartment. It was kind of a gallows humor between us, and my meaning was that the place was so great, death would be the only reason you would ever leave."
George McCalman?s living room is filled with art and furniture designed by his friends. From left: He sits in a chair by Josh Duthie of Chairtastic; the art and lamp beside the sofa are vintage; the painting over the console is by Samantha Palmeri; the coffee table is by Tim Balon.

Roughly six years later, when McCalman and his then-b...