301 Main Street #37B Floor Plan

According to Damion Mathews of SFLuxe, Gurbaksh Chahal (“G”) spent $6,900,000 to purchase Infinity penthouse unit 37B and another $1,000,000 upgrading the 3,355 square foot condo (a quarter of which was budgeted for the flooring alone).

Interior design by Vaso Peritos with before and after photos for the project available online but no specific accounting (financial or otherwise) for the many monograms throughout.

119 thoughts on “Infinity Penthouse Unit 37B: Before And After (And The Budget)”
  1. Tacky lighting fixtures. with such amazing views, why have a plasma hanging in every room? Kitchen by Ikea (or so it looks in pictures…but I am sure much nicer in person). Like the zebra skin and hope it is faux.
    2008 moderne with Greek classical influenced columns….interesting.

  2. Great floors. Tiny kitchen. Please paint the walls IMMEDIATELY. Why go to all that effort and leave them that fugly white. Also, who spends 7 billion dollars on a place that doesn’t have split bedrooms? Do they like hearing their guests snore at night?

  3. First poster- I was thinking the same thing immediately after seeing this place- ‘Money can’t buy you class.’ That flattened zebra belongs in one of the preznit’s ranch houses, next to his pile of cleared brush.

  4. Easy to make fun, but the guy is 26 years old or something. While you folks were (undoubtedly) refining your tastes back then, I guess this guy was focused on other things…
    Actually, I think the decoration is age-appropriate, if awful.

  5. Paid how much and did what? The PH looks very low budget – from the ceilings to the cheap looking dry wall job to the psuedo decoration.
    Looks like a Las Vegas hotel room.

  6. The mystery to me is how does a designer like Vaso Peritos who makes a living from visual presentations manage to use such poorly created photos for marketing ? There are so many easily correctable problems here, the most annoying of which is that no attempt was made to correct the color cast. Every photo has that Infinity blue-green tint.
    That’s the same blue-green tint used in commercials to induce a feeling of urban rat-race fluorescent illuminated despair. Once the characters in the ad consume the product, everything turns warm and rosy. The blue-green tint also the color of the dystopian world of “The Matrix”.

  7. I have to agree with Michael … the bedroom is reminiscent of a Las Vegas hotel. The only thing missing is a glass ceiling. But just because it isn’t my taste, doesn’t mean “G” is not going to have fun with it. To each his own.

  8. This is great design, if you need to scream “I have money” without actually having taste.
    [Removed by Editor]

  9. The space is beautiful but the interior is straight out of Versace’s old house. Looks like mid 90’s Miami style.
    What’s shocking is he chose to buy at The Infinity over SF’s new landmark One Rincon Hill. Last I saw, I noticed a penthouse unit at ORH listed on craigslist.
    Who says location and design doesn’t matter??

  10. Whoops, I just read sfluxe’s site after I posted my comments and we both had the same opinion.
    Go Versace!

  11. I’m jealous of rich people! Oh so young and rich! A lot of foreigners buying SF properties now. Nuts!

  12. Euuuuwww. Louis XIV meets Ivana Trump? Youth is no excuse for poor taste; if he can afford that place he can buy good taste.

  13. This thread is like beating a dead horse … or a dead zebra as the case happens to be. My mom always said “money can’t buy class and money can’t buy taste” and this is indeed a case in point.
    No question that Gurbaksh is an accomplished guy, given that he induced Yahoo to buy out his company for $300m at age 25, but this is home is definitely not one of his shining achievements. And the white leather chair on the balcony … forget the wind and the rain … just with the bridge so close, that has barely two weeks before it starts to turn a sooty black color, so one may want to store that indoors and wheel it out when needed.

  14. Obviously a very successful guy and an incredible condo with tons of potential but this interior design is a waste. I love Versace but this misses by a mile.

  15. It would seem that G has never played pool despite splashing out for the table. Try using a pool cue any longer than the one that came with my Flintstones pool table 30 years ago with those walls so close.

  16. The guy is 26 and probably has porn stars coming over every night. I envy the guy, and think the porn furniture fits perfectly with the fantasy. I hope the “G” sniffs up coke on the glass table and off of the model’s breasts just like that scene in Robocop. He deserves it!

  17. To be honest I can’t even tell what it looks like. All I see is a blueish-gray haze. I bet it looks much better in person.

  18. That is one bad-ass pimped out drug den! You can tell by the spare kitchen that dining isn’t going to be the main focus of entertainment in this PH. This horrifying style of interior might be less shocking and more accepted in LA or LV, but here in SF it’s very out of context. I imagine this is a common style for every apartment in Dubai.

  19. I think the French bourgeoisie called this style “eclectique” during the tacky “Second Empire”. That was a period that didn’t have its own style and reproduced furniture based on what was the supposedly the best period for the piece. Like Louis XVI dining, Louis XV commodes, Henri II buffets and so on. Happily, this only lasted 30-40 years and the Art Nouveau came.
    But this place is a mess.

  20. Wow, how about supporting more charities out there instead of wasting money putting initials on things. I’m sure G and his friends don’t need to be reminded where they are and who they’re with.

  21. Ok, 250K for the floor, but that means that the rest of the place cost $750K to decorate. I guess most of it went to the designer fees.

  22. Man, I can only think of the parties that will go on in that place. Here is what I imagine.
    * An eclectic mix of Bollywood Themes and Hip Hop.
    * Only the best appetizers money can buy from all top-notch the local restaurants. 2 star Michelin only please, complete with appearance by head chef.
    * Popper and Cocaine Buffet.
    * Ice Sculpture in the shape of a big “G” flowing grey goose all night.
    * Slurpee Machine serving ready-made don julio-based Margaritas.
    * Women, imported from all over the world, ready and willing.
    * Karaoke with 50-cent and Dr. Dre.

  23. 20 years ago this guy and sports stars wouldn’t even live in SF
    I think its progress for our little town that takes itself way to seriously, odd (to me) taste and all. I’m happy that a Indian born flamboyant millionaire entrepreneur who call himself “G” and has it emblazoned on his bedpost lives here. Its funny.
    Any Russian oligarchs or Guangzhou industrialists looking for a second home? Come on down

  24. OK my earlier comment about being unable to play pool in the pool room I can put in proper perspective: The pool table was shoved into what was designed “library” on the plans. Certainly a “library” is surplusage to this sort of fellow.

  25. Seeing the photos of this place reminds me of a great line of dialogue from the 1983 version of the movie Scarface…
    “He told me to pick you up…
    In that thing? You must be kidding…
    What you talking about? That’s a Cadillac…
    I wouldn’t be caught dead in that…
    It looks like somebody’s nightmare.”
    So in this case, Unit 37B is the Cadillac, and it’s definitely somebody’s nightmare…

  26. agreed.. hideous design job.
    all that money.. and that’s the result. apparently money doesn’t buy much these days.

  27. This thread has been great entertainment. If you really want to take “G” seriously go to http://www.chahal.com/ and click on Contact at the bottom for a very revealing image of this hot-mess entrepreneur.

  28. Boy did the snobs ever show up for this one.
    I still think none of you really know how it all looks. Judging from the photos this penthouse appears to be submerged beneath a top-floor swimming pool.

  29. sf_housedude:
    I’m too sexy for my love too sexy for my love
    Love’s going to leave me
    I’m too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt
    So sexy it hurts
    And I’m too sexy for Milan too sexy for Milan
    New York and Japan
    And I’m too sexy for your party
    Too sexy for your party
    No way I’m disco dancing
    I’m a model you know what I mean
    And I do my little turn on the catwalk
    Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
    I do my little turn on the catwalk
    I’m too sexy for my car too sexy for my car
    Too sexy by far
    And I’m too sexy for my hat
    Too sexy for my hat what do you think about that
    I’m a model you know what I mean
    And I do my little turn on the catwalk
    Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
    I shake my little touche on the catwalk
    I’m too sexy for my too sexy for my too sexy for my
    ‘Cos I’m a model you know what I mean
    And I do my little turn on the catwalk
    Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
    I shake my little touche on the catwalk
    I’m too sexy for my cat too sexy for my cat
    Poor pussy poor pussy cat
    I’m too sexy for my love too sexy for my love
    Love’s going to leave me
    And I’m too sexy for this song

  30. Well, after this, it will be hard to take all of the Los Angeles bashing on this site seriously. This is one of the new “leaders” of our “cultural” “sophisticated” city? At least in Los Angeles they still pretend to care about the poor and the planet (even if they don’t), here it is all about posting your net worth on your own webpage as well as pictures with your shirt off (no need for shame, this is the new San Francisco). Portland is looking better all the time.

  31. Honestly, as a 25 year old I’m envious of one being able to afford such a place. I couldn’t care less what furniture or whatever else he has in there. The floors would have me running down them in my socks like Tom Cruise.

  32. Seems to me that most of the comments here are from jealous people and haters in general. No wonder he’s living at the Penthouse and the closest most of you will get is googling on these pictures. Get a life and focus on what matters to get you out your misery…

  33. “This is one of the new “leaders” of our “cultural” “sophisticated” city?”
    Huh?
    I never voted for him for anything.
    His web site is pretty LA, tho, IMO.

  34. In South Africa it is permitted to cull (kill) the herd (sorry folks, death is a reality in the animal kingdom)and the hides are not wasted but sold.
    Zebra is not my taste – but in the kitchen? Does not seem practical.

  35. AspiringTeacher: 100% correct. i can eat top ramen for the rest of my life, and I wouldn’t be able to afford the garbage can in this place. Isn’t life grand!

  36. At first I thought this thread was about some wealthy indian guy going totally overboard on real estate. Yawn. Could we please limit the real estate porn to focus on people who actually have *real* money instead of middle class techies like this G character?
    Example:
    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/05/09/notes050908.DTL&hw=morford&sn=006&sc=506
    Compared to the Ambani spread, this penthouse is the condo analog of an ’87 Civic with spinning wheels. Always a bigger fish.

  37. It’s not that we are jealous, most of us know we cannot afford this place. But just look at the kitchen and tell me that it goes with the rest of the apartment furnishings, does the dining table and chandelier fit? It is the same stock kitchen that came with the place. The kitchen needs to be warmer to go with the ornate furniture, which then does not match the living room furniture. And ornate furniture rarely goes with white. Look at the bedroom, grey and black walls with a red ceiling and white and gold furniture. Put those colors next to each other and maybe you’ll be able to see the disconnect.
    Keep in mind that this cost $1,000,000 to decorate and costs seven million dollars total. It was not done by one of us with a $5,000 budget from Ikea and trying to arrange our meager possesions in an orderly fashion around bad architecture. There should be a cohesiveness for that kind of money. Look at 2000 Washington #A at the same price point,(without the decor) and you can see why most of us just don’t like this unit. The apartment had incredible potential and it’s more of a disappointment than jealousy.

  38. For a “penthouse” the ceilings look very low. The before pictures tell the whole story. “G” may get to press the “P” button, but the finishes are still typical of SOMA condos, and are the pictures of the kitchen a “butler’s pantry” kitchen? This is penthouse living?
    Our firm did the penthouse of another young REAL billionaire, Ken Griffin, in Chicago, and at least he brought in a real Cezanne, Matisse, and Modigliani. But that is the Midwest, you know, flyover country, not full of hipsters and “G” characters.

  39. I completely agree with view lover. I’m anything but jealous or a snob, this place is simply a design disaster.

  40. all i can say is that when i look at these photos, i feel like…
    MOTORING!
    What’s your price for flight?
    In finding mister right!
    You’ll be alright tonight…

  41. The city is definitely becoming more sassy, and it needs it. I can just imagine all of the native transplants complaints about the hippie revolution in the 60s invading their town.

  42. Here you go FLUJ. Similar age, similar price for a penthouse, COMPLETELY different type of person. Griffin does things different, like building a new wing at the art institute, supporting inner city schools, and huge support to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. You don’t see him driving around Chicago in a white Bentley. You will see him walking to work.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_C._Griffin
    And FLUJ, white walls and 10 foot ceilings are not penthouse living. This is a mess, and in no way am I jealous. Infinity is a great project, but this “penthouse” is not.

  43. Nobody should dictate how one should and should not live their life. He’s not harming anybody and he is living his own life to the exuberant fullest.

  44. Wow. Everyone’s so critical. I’ve actually been in this unit and it’s stunning. While it may not be to everyone’s taste, I like how eclectic it is – french regency meets hollywood glam (think Viceroy – if you don’t know, you’re not the demo/target). The floors are simply beautiful. The space unfolds wonderfully. It’s perfect for someone younger who likes to entertain. As for the Zebra skin – glad so many dislike it. Design should evoke a reaction and this certainly does. It’s not how I’d design it but appreciate it.

  45. anonarch, I don’t care who Anthony Griffin is and I don’t care who Gurbaksh Chahal is either. Your design criticism was par for the course.

  46. So why is “his own life” all over the internet if not to be admired or in the case of his home, open to criticism? Maybe he’ll hire Geoffry Bradfield or someone of that caliber to correct this mess thanks to the overall criticisms. He certainly can afford it and he already has some acrylic furniture, Bradfield makes magic with that “stuff”, and with those views…OMG. This could be the best feedback he has gotten. He is young and like someone posted earlier, he’s been busy making money, so maybe he just has not honed his taste to penthouse level. Or NOT, he could be happy as a clam. I for one will leave him alone and wish him even more success. Maybe his next place will show like 8,000,000 because this one does not.

  47. french regency hollywood glam = vegas 1970’s, wow, is that the demo/target? We have not evolved.

  48. i’d have to say i agree. this is nothing like viceroy. there’s a campy sense of humor at play there, and a stylish mix/match with creative flourishes. this, to me, looks much more vegas 70s, with touches of trump baroque. if there’s any irony in its tackiness, it’s so subtle as to appear unintentional. it’s hard not to critique, as it’s been presented for pure showing off purposes.
    more interesting to me is the space itself. apparently even in ‘penthouses’ (is it even on the top floor?) you’re stuck with the same low ceilings. i’m guessing that’s to maximize units within a given height restriction. and how to decorate something that’s basically an office tower? all the ‘old world’ elements just seem out of place. marble doesn’t look that great, just expensive.
    it’s definitely missing a fountain of a peeing cherub. maybe a diamond-studded damien hirst skull:
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/31/2020127.htm

  49. Such criticism! It is true that when I look closely at this I can find nothing that I particularly like, but there are positives to be had from all of this:
    First and foremost, this is a glorious unit. When I see it I immediately start to think about what I would do with this space. The floors I would keep for amazement value if nothing else.
    Next, think about how much better this kind of display is for the environment than the alternative. Similar amounts get spent in suburbs tearing down classic structures, undermining the roots of ancient trees, all for new buildings that may be at their worst on the outside with highly visible exterior tackiness.
    Finally, this taste really isn’t all that bad as over the top stylings go. This was compared to Trump and Gotti styles, but those are much more far out. Trump has gold and mirrors everywhere and they both junk everything up with this and that other item. Here an attempt has been made to impress with a small number of well chosen materials and details. The walls were probably kept neutral in order to best accent the art works displayed there. There are relatively few knick-knacks. Compared to many new rich abodes this reprents subdued taste, so I think in all honesty that we have evolved. You may have to squint to see the progress, but it is there.

  50. And the pillows! Look carefully at the pillows! That might not be llama fur, but it sure looks like it. Such pillows should be resistant to being “chopped” because of the relatively heavy hide material. At this point chop resistant pillows should be worth at least some design kharma points.

  51. There IS no accounting for taste…
    And why does the kitchen look so cheap??
    Farinelli indeed.

  52. Forget the design, this guy bought the top floor and the views are still blocked by other buildings.
    With that kind of money he should have bought in Pac Heights, Russian Hill, or Telegraph Hill and had an unobstructed view and perhaps a yard.

  53. Harold and Kumar go to white speedball castle. But at 25, with $100 million, I vote we let him wait until his 30’s, 40’s…80’s to acquire and express good taste. I respect the man for living like a silicon valley [Removed by Editor] without concern for Dwell magazine, tasteful couples in Noe Valley or endangered species in the Kalahari.

  54. This is the paradigm style of the nouveau riche Indian young. It’s just a cultural thing that white SF people don’t get. Seriously.

  55. pointy knees. that might be right… for me. and actually, the two photos used here are two of the least flattering. the bedroom wallpaper is great. the zebra, though. assuming it’s real… even if it died of natural causes, or 80 years ago, it’s a little scary to see endangered animals used as fashion statements. there are probably more people in this income bracket than there are zebras. hope it wasn’t poached.

  56. After watching “G’s” rags to riches story on you tube I have to draw some similarities to the Jeffersons. The only difference is the Jeffersons apartment looked more sophisticated than this Taj Mahal meets the now outdated viceroy mash up.

  57. bgelldawg,
    You bring up a good point that no-one else has mentioned. While the $1m design budget could have built something far nicer than this bordello, let’s not foreget the fact that he paid $2060 per sq. ft. for this P-house. In the photos I was wondering why there were no pictures from the bedroom that faces East and South? One would imagine that one would see jaw dropping sunrises through the floor to ceiling glass. But alas, this guy paid $7m for his bedroom to look right into the back of Infinity Tower II. So, that means that all ’02’ and ’03’ floorplans from Floors 10 through 60 at One Rincon Hill have a superior/less obstructed view of the sunrise from their bedrooms than the ‘G’ bedroom. That may be the biggest joke of all.

  58. i see it lit as i come across the bay bridge every night from work, i thought how amazing, until i saw these pictures. i have never seen such tackiness for 1M in extras…

  59. LOLOLOLOLOL. Thanks socketsite and posters for the best laughs of my day. the comments were brilliant.
    What. a. clown.
    What I want to know is, what kind of girl wants to sleep in that monstrosity of a bed.
    Her first name better start with G.

  60. But alas, this guy paid $7m for his bedroom to look right into the back of Infinity Tower II. So, that means that all ’02’ and ’03’ floorplans from Floors 10 through 60 at One Rincon Hill have a superior/less obstructed view of the sunrise from their bedrooms than the ‘G’ bedroom. That may be the biggest joke of all.
    Can always count on you to bring it back to ORH. Clearly, for some people, living in a forlorn, isolated building on a freeway is too high a price to pay for a view.

  61. Zebras are not endangered.
    They get eaten by predators every day in Africa.

    Being endangered and eaten by predators are 2 different things.
    But agreed, Zebras are plentiful, and the reason is because their skin makes for a very tacky carpet.

  62. When I saw the “G” emblazoned all over the furniture I assumed that one of the Gabor sisters lived here.
    Also, I’ve seen plenty of spaces decorated by people in there mid twenties that looked classic and rich. It’s a mute point here anyway since the owner of this unit hired a “pro” to do the decorating for him.

  63. “Compared to many new rich abodes this represents subdued taste…”
    Mole Man, are you serious?

  64. I went through half of the pictures and i could not take it anymore – at least we know where Osama Bin Laden’s hangout will be in San Francisco.

  65. Probably more specifically Punjabi Sikh farmer in taste. (Responding to above comment about Indian design taste.)
    Usual story here on this board, everyone likes to poke fun as the life style of the new rich from lower income backgrounds.

  66. Larry, that’s just bloody wrong. The Indians have nothing to do with Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden isn’t Indian, or even a Sikh, and if he had his way they’d all be dead. The only way Bin Laden will be hanging out at that place will be if he flies another plane through the front doors.

  67. “But alas, this guy paid $7m for his bedroom to look right into the back of Infinity Tower II. ”
    No, that’s not right. The only reason the photos don’t show the views are because the photos were taken by the interior designer for the purposes of showing her work. The second tower does NOT obstruct views.

  68. SF Condo Guy,
    Let me see if I get this. Infinity Tower II is located East of Infinity Tower I and is taller than Tower I. The sun has, since the beginning of time, risen in the east. So, even though Tower II is located between the P-House and the morning sunrise, somehow it doesn’t block G-money’s view? Do his bedroom windows make Tower II invisible? For $7m, they probably should!

  69. The sun rises exactly eastward only two mornings a year. In the summer the sun rises in the northeast. In the winter the sun rises in the southeast.
    I’m not sure about the exact geometry in question at the infinity, but would guess that tower 1 is not entirely devoid of sunrise viewing.

  70. Recent ORH buyer,
    You need to give it a rest! Not every discussion is about One Rincon vs. the Infinity. [Removed by Editor]

  71. Fair point 94114. Okay, back to [as John put it so well] ripping on the “Punjabi Sikh farmer” nouveau riche design of the place.

  72. This place has no real unity. The decorators probably listened to their customer a bit too much (for a 1M redecoration, I’d listen too).
    What’s the style? French Country (Louis XVI brown furniture)? IKEA first time homeowner pad (tacky kitchen)? Venetian palazzo (bloody huge columns)? Third world tyrant (monogrammed gilded bed + golden cristal chandellier with a 9ft ceiling)?
    This is a Miami style condo. The style should be sleek, modern and unified. Anything else won’t work.

  73. You could call it Maharaja Moderne, and expect to see more of it poked in the eye of oh-so-tasteful SF. My jaw dropped open when I first saw this, but expect tastes to change from as Indian and Chinese Americans, especially tech entrepreneurs, become more visible. Candy & Candy referred to above is equally over the top but much more stylish.
    I’m getting tired of seeing SF interiors in the Dwell style even though I was one of their very first subscribers. Trends don’t last forever.

  74. Fake plants in wicker baskets and halogen track lights in the wine closet…this thread just ended itself!

  75. g
    If you like it and it works for you more power to you! But I find it sad that you paid for something that looks so amateur. Mostly, the scale is wrong (I am all for eclectic). Why don’t you give me a chance. I can not only fix it but make it shine.
    If you do nothing else make the kitchen look less like a break room in a hospital. Good luck

  76. i’m willing to give him a break he was 26 when he bought this place. a 26 year old guy from a humble working class background is not going to have the most refined taste and while he is a douchebag i have to admit i might be a jerk too if i was that young and had $250 million.most young guys would be partying with model types everynight and not going to the symphony.

  77. For those interested in our local celebrity:
    “San Francisco man once featured on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” for being a wealthy young entrepreneur was charged Thursday with 47 counts of domestic violence-related crimes, according to court records.
    Gurbaksh Chahal, 31, chief executive of online advertising company RadiumOne, is accused of assaulting a girlfriend in his Rincon Hill home on Monday.”
    http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/SF-entrepreneur-faces-domestic-violence-charges-4719376.php

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