The Rooms — In Photos

A walk through 2200 Bridgeway, room by room — Studio A's sunburst, Studio B's cloud ceiling, the Pit, the Garden, and the Sausalito-built lobby.

The arched doorway entrance to Studios A and B at 2200 Bridgeway — red 'Studio' script on white block letters mounted on twin doors, with a stained-glass chandelier and warm redwood ceiling beyond. — The twin doors to Studio A and Studio B — the threshold every artist crosses on the way in.Photo by Tom Proctor

Studio A

The flagship room. Designed by Tom Hidley with "dead" acoustics and Westlake monitors. Decorated on opening with the sunburst wall pattern still visible today. White fabric hung from the ceiling. The SSL 4000 G console was installed by Arne Frager in 1993 when the ceiling was raised from 14 to 32 feet for Metallica's drum sessions.

Studio A live room — staggered acoustic panels rising the full height of the wall, with the C7 and Persian rug on the parquet floor. — The live room from the floor — staggered diffusion climbing toward the 32-foot ceiling.Photo by Tom Proctor

Studio A live room — full view facing away from the sunburst wall, showing the C7, Persian rug, mic stands, and acoustic panels climbing toward the 32-foot ceiling. — Studio A live room facing away from the sunburst wall — C7, Persian rug, and acoustic panels climbing toward the 32-foot ceiling.Photo by Tom Proctor

Carved wooden sunburst diffuser panel on the Studio A wall, lit in magenta. — The sunburst diffuser — hand-carved wood, original to the room.Photo by Tom Proctor

The Studio A door — orange 'RECORDING' light glowing above a dark wood door with a taped 'Recording in Progress — Do Not Enter' sign, set into redwood paneling above the maroon swirl carpet. — The Studio A door — the orange "RECORDING" light still warns the hallway when tape is rolling.Photo by Tom Proctor

A cluster of vintage microphones on stands arranged in a circle on a Persian rug in an isolation room off of Studio A, with diffusor panels and acoustic baffles in the background. — A gathering of the mics in an isolation room off of Studio A — Persian rug, diffusors, vintage condensers ready to track.Photo by Tom Proctor

The angled control room window of Studio A viewed from the live room — orange-paneled console base set into a textured grey wall, parquet floor in the foreground. — Looking back at the Studio A control room from inside the live room.Photo by Tom Proctor

Studio B

Hidley's companion room, matched to Studio A in size and acoustic character. The cloud ceiling — velvet-covered plywood shapes — gave the room a distinctive visual warmth. Fleetwood Mac tracked Rumours here. Equipped by Frager with a Neve 8068 with 64 inputs and GML Automation.

Painted sun-and-moon ceiling panel above the curved seating in Studio B, signed S. Elvin '73. — A painted sun-and-moon panel from the Studio B ceiling, signed S. Elvin, 1973. It was painted over with a white wash, and is now halfway back, but needs restoration. Volunteers?Photo by Tom Proctor

Carlos Reyes playing bass in Studio B during the Stereophonic cast party, with a drummer beside him under the room's curved cloud panels. — Jazz legend Carlos Reyes in Studio B at the Stereophonic cast party.Photo by Tom Proctor

A pianist plays the Baldwin upright in Studio B during the Stereophonic cast party, with guests gathered on the Persian rug under the cloud ceiling. — At the Stereophonic cast party in Studio B — the Baldwin upright getting played while guests filter through.Photo by Tom Proctor

Curved cloud-shaped fabric panels covering the Studio B ceiling — coral satin, blush, orange dragon brocade, copper, and patterned tapestries on a redwood backing. — The Studio B cloud ceiling — velvet and brocade panels stretched over plywood shapes, original to the 1970s build.Photo by Tom Proctor

Studio B live room — the curved mirrored ceiling reflecting the control room window, with mic stands, a chair, and amps set up on the parquet floor against the burl-wood wall. — Studio B live room — the curved mirrored ceiling reflecting back into the control room, mics and amps staged on the parquet floor.Photo by Tom Proctor

Looking up at the Studio B cloud ceiling — purple velvet amoeba-shaped panels with a yellow oval panel, set between black steel beams and exposed ductwork, with red velvet curtains below. — Looking up into the Studio B cloud ceiling — purple velvet panels and a single yellow oval floating between the beams.Photo by Tom Proctor

A corner of Studio B with wave-shaped acoustic panels in green sequins, white, lime, blue floral, and cowhide print mounted across a curved redwood wall, with guitar cases and gear on the floor. — The wave wall in Studio B in the drummers corner with sculpted fabric panels in sequins, velvet, and cowhide, riding the curves of the redwood paneling.Photo by Tom Proctor

The Studio B keyboard collection runs deep — multiple options always within arm's reach of the live room.

Baldwin upright piano in Studio B with the front panel removed, exposing the hammers, strings, and tuning pins, set against deep red drapery and parquet floor. — The Studio B Baldwin upright — front panel pulled so the hammers and strings are open to the room.Photo by Tom Proctor

Fender Rhodes Seventy Three electric piano on its stand in Studio B, lit warmly against the dark red wall. — A Fender Rhodes Seventy Three — one of many keyboards kept tracking-ready in Studio B.Photo by Tom Proctor

A Sequential Prophet-10 analog synthesizer stacked on top of a Yamaha electric piano in Studio B, set against deep red velvet curtains. — A Sequential Prophet-10 stacked over a Yamaha electric piano — more of the Studio B keyboard rig.Photo by Tom Proctor

Studio B floor plan showing the live room (21'-6" by 30'-2"), Drumbrella platform, Control Room B (18'-3" by 19'-0"), ISO booth, lounge, patio, and adjoining service rooms at 2200 Bridgeway. — Studio B floor plan — live room, Control Room B, ISO, and lounge.

The Garden

No room at 2200 Bridgeway has changed more times or held more history in a single footprint. It began as the Pit, commissioned by Sly Stone in the early 1970s: a sunken studio cut ten feet into the foundation, 140 square feet, every surface covered in bright maroon plush carpet, acoustically dead and visually unlike anything in recording. Sly needed a room that answered to no one. He built one.

Framed black-and-white photo of Fleetwood Mac at 2200 Bridgeway in 1976, standing in front of a Fleetwood Mac road case. — Fleetwood Mac in 1976 — the year Stevie Nicks wrote "Dreams" here.Photo by Tom Proctor

In 1976, Stevie Nicks sat in a room adjacent to the Pit and wrote "Dreams" on a piano. She walked into Studio B and recorded the vocal in a single take. In 1978, a 19-year-old Prince arrived from Minneapolis and booked three months in the building. Drawn by the records Sly Stone, Chaka Khan, and Carlos Santana had made here, he recorded his debut album For You alone in this space. He sang every vocal and played every instrument.

By the end of the 1970s, Rick James had moved into the building and was cutting Street Songs down the hall. The Pit was eventually rebuilt as a dedicated mix room called Mix 1. Arne Frager and acoustician Manny LaCarruba then redesigned it entirely as the Garden, an oval-shaped room built on a reverse principle: the larger space became the control room, and the former control room became the overdub space. Metallica mixed S&M here in 1999. In 2026, the Garden is getting a full renovation.

The same room. Four names. Fifty years of sessions.

The Garden — curved oval room mid-renovation in 2026, with a ladder, exposed ceiling, and dark wood floor. — The Garden Studio. Evidence of Frager's sub-woofers on the floor is the plywood covers in place as the studio transitions away from using them.Photo by Tom Proctor

The Garden Studio mid-renovation, curved wall with control room window and exposed ceiling beam — Garden Studio remodel shows a big ugly beam overhead, and legacy windows, and lighting switch from the Frager era. You can see the floor panels revealing the existence of the legendary sub-floor Pit.Photo by Tom Proctor

Framed photograph of Prince in a gold sequined suit kneeling with a Telecaster, hanging on a 2200 Studios wall. — Prince — framed on the wall at 2200, a nod to the Garden's earliest history.Photo by Tom Proctor

The Lobby

The redwood slabs from the original 1972 opening party invitations still hang on the lobby walls.

The famous door — originally the front door of the studio, now on display inside the lobby. The well-known story: Stevie Nicks used to rub the nose of the bear for good luck. Rumours?

The original carved redwood front door of the Record Plant Sausalito — a band of animals playing instruments, including a bear with a violin whose nose Stevie Nicks reportedly rubbed for luck. — The famous door — the amazing artistic work of shipbuildersPhoto by Tom Proctor

Much of the custom woodwork throughout the building — the inlaid floors, the sunburst paneling, the carved details — was done by craftsmen from the local Sausalito shipbuilder community, whose tradition of marine joinery shaped the lobby's distinctive look.

Lobby of the Record Plant Sausalito with elaborate inlaid wooden floor, sunburst paneled walls, and a guitar mounted by the door. — The lobby — inlaid wooden floor and sunburst paneling crafted by the Sausalito shipbuilding community.Photo by Tom Proctor

Gold record award presented to The Record Plant – Sausalito for Santana's Sacred Fire: Live in South America, 1993. — Sacred Fire gold record — one of more than 100 gold and platinum awards presented to this address, still hanging on the walls at 2200 Bridgeway.Photo by Tom Proctor

Carved redwood lobby wall set with five brass ship portholes and dozens of carved moon and crescent panels, with two orange leather chairs in the foreground. — Brass portholes and carved moons set into the lobby's redwood wall — pure Sausalito shipwright DNA.Photo by Tom Proctor

The Game Room

Bands used the game room to unwind and argue, and play games. If you lived in the studio, the game room was key.

Redwood-paneled game room lounge with red velvet chairs, a black leather sofa, and framed gold and platinum records on the wall. — The Game Room — red velvet, black leather, and a wall of gold and platinum.Photo by Tom Proctor

Vintage Studer reel-to-reel tape machine sitting in the redwood-paneled game room beside a framed poster. — Photo by Tom Proctor

Wider view of the game room with platinum records, framed artist photos, leather seating, and an inlaid sunburst floor. — Photo by Tom Proctor

The game room in 2026 — redwood-paneled walls, a red velvet chair, black leather seating, vintage chandelier, and framed gold and platinum records. — Game Room 2026.Photo by Tom Proctor

Framed platinum record award for Starship's Knee Deep in the Hoopla, presented to The Plant Studio by Grunt Records, hanging on the redwood-paneled game room wall. — Game Room wall art — Starship's *Knee Deep in the Hoopla* platinum award, presented to The Plant Studio.Photo by Tom Proctor

Studer A800 MkII 24-track reel-to-reel tape machine with its 24-channel VU meter bridge across the top. — Studer A800 MkII — 24 tracks, two-inch tape. Still here.Photo by Tom Proctor

Metallica Lounge

The studio was cramped and more comfortable space was needed, so an old jacuzzi area was converted to the lounge and kitchen zone. A key upgrade to the studio.

Rick James Conference Room

Rick James did not book the studio and leave between sessions. He moved in. During his Sausalito residency, he occupied the conference room adjacent to the Pit, sleeping on the waterbed floor for weeks at a time. The room sat just steps from Sly Stone's sunken studio, and James used both. A photograph of him at a piano still hangs on the door of his former quarters. Street Songs, his most commercially successful album and the record that produced "Super Freak," was recorded here in 1981.

The full story of the Street Songs sessions is in the journal.