Atop Telegraph Hill, leading designers transform the 2016 San Francisco Decorator Showcase house into a chic contemporary home.
Stephan Jones’s study was designed with the creativity and colorful energy of San Francisco in mind. The earthly palette of indigo blues, charcoal browns and ivories was inspired by California’s diverse landscape; textured wallcoverings from Kneedler | Fauchère also help create an atmosphere that is intimate and tactile. Standout elements include a Danish-style 1960s bentwood teak armchair from Epoca paired with a Lief desk, a circa 1900 antique Persian area rug, and a custom banquette. Jones also selected artwork by Louise Nevelson, Brian Wall and Emerson Woelffer.
Additional Resources:
Banquette upholstery and sofa pillows, Richard Andronaco Upholstery. Banquette fabric and pillow fabric, Zak + Fox. Black sconce, Paul Ferrante. Wallcovering, Kneedler | Fauchère. Paint, C2 Paint, through Creative Paint. Vintage pillows, Textures. Lounge chair, De Angelis, through 1stdibs. Lounge chair fabric, Holly Hunt. Wood stump side table, Gary Gibson. Area rug, Jerry Livian Collection. Colorado (1954) artwork (left, above sofa), Emerson Woelffer, through Hackett Mill Gallery. Drawing (Open) (1960) artwork (above sofa, top), Bob Law, through Hackett Mill Gallery. Untitled (1955) artwork (above sofa, bottom), Conrad-Marca Relli, through Hackett Mill Gallery. Untitled (1987) artwork (right), Milton Resnick, through Hackett Mill Gallery. Dot I (2015) sculpture (on coffee-table books), Brian Wall, through Hackett Mill Gallery. Window treatments, Malatesta & Co. Drapery fabric, Fabricut. Drapery trim, Samuel & Sons. Shades, Coraggio. Arm chair, Epoca. Oval table (desk), Lief. Desk lamp, Caste.
Scale was the starting point for Beth Martin’s design of her urbane powder room. “The first order of business was to create the illusion of space and reflect the only source of natural light—the small window,” she notes. Martin accomplished this by adding a mirror to the back of the room and installing a floating vanity; she also brought dynamism to the space with reflective Urban Electric sconces, Calcutta Macchia Vecchia marble with bold veining, and luminous, back-lit shelving. Her ultimate visual gesture? An all-seeing, bright-blue eye on the ceiling.
Additional Resources:
Faucet, Dornbracht. Toilet, Duravit, through The Bath + Beyond. Sconces, The Urban Electric Company. Bookcase lights, Icon LED. Wallpaper (in bookshelf), Phillip Jeffries. Mural design, Martin Group. Mural, Linda Horning. Rug, Tony Kitz.
The Bonhams foyer sets an artful stage for the showcase: Titled “Made in California,” the space is lined by a wall of gouaches by Bay Area artist Charles Houghton Howard, a local art figure of the 1930s. “The museum-quality works were selected not only to pack a visual punch,” says Christine Skinner, Bonhams’ Director of Art + Décor, “but also to pay homage to the historical significance of the house and showcase the importance of Bay Area artists in the global art scene.”
Additional Resources:
Artworks, Charles Houghton Howard.
“The point of departure for the living room was the renovation and expansion of SFMOMA,” says Antonio Martins. “It’s a symbol of the new energy and creativity of San Francisco.” Martins took his cue from the clean, sculptural look of the new museum. The Willem Racké Studio white wall finishes give a gallery-like look to the space, and the steel floors add a cool, industrial element. Appropriately, the artwork is the star of the space and includes a mirror by Andy Diaz Hope designed specifically for the room, Neon by Anthony Discenza and Strategic Fringe, a sculptural piece in black leather by Benjamin Cirgin.
Additional Resources:
Mirror (above fireplace), Andy Diaz Hope, through Catharine Clark Gallery. Neons (2016) artwork, Anthony Discenza, through Catharine Clark Gallery. Wallcovering, Willem Racké Studio. Fireplace surround, sofa frame and consoles, Fabian Fine Furniture. Chandelier, Fuse Lighting. Sofa fabric, Donghia. Flooring, Shop Floor Design.
Evars + Anderson Interior Design envisioned “a dark, moody, sexy lounge, ideal for intimate gatherings,” says principal Nancy Evars. The firm developed a “one-of-a-kind, matte midnight Venetian plaster” for the walls and ceiling, and added textural elements including white Mongolian lamb fur stools, a lacquered teak coffee table and brass finishes. A custom Kyle Bunting cowhide rug and jewel-green sofa add splashes of color.
Additional Resources:
Table, Jiun Ho. Mirror, RH. Ottomans, HD Buttercup. Artwork, Jean-Claude Langer, through Simon Breitbard Fine Art. Vase (on coffee table), Monique Cornelisse, through Simon Breitbard Fine Art. Rug, Kyle Bunting.
“Because all of the spaces flow and intermingle, we kept a continuity of color and tone,” notes Martin Kobus of his kitchen, dining room and lounge. The kitchen features custom cabinetry and smoky bronze mirrors designed by the firm, and a custom mirror glass panel inset above the sink. Neolith countertops are through Northbay Stone Works; and the stools are by John Liston through Coup d’Etat.
Additional Resources:
Cabinet wood, Swiss Krono. Wood fin (on island), Tomasi Design. Countertop, Neolith Countertops. Appliances, LG Studio. Sink and faucet, Kohler. Hood, Ferguson. Mirrors and glass, California Shower Door. Lighting pendants, Holly Hunt. Stools, John Liston, through Coup d’Etat. Paint, Benjamin Moore.
“I was inspired to design these areas by the thought of a modern, traveling family that has homes around the world,” says Martin Kobus of his trio of rooms—dining room, lounge and kitchen. The designer anchored the dining room with a custom Bausman & Company table and created a stunning focal point with a John Liston Halo pendant. “Liston’s work is strong and cutting edge,” notes Kobus. “It mixes glass and metal in a unique and fresh way.”
Additional Resources:
Chandelier and mirrors, John Liston, through Coup d’Etat. Dining room table, Bausman & Company. Area rug, Crescent Carpet Importers. Dining room chairs, West Elm. Drapery fabric, Stroheim. Sheers fabric, Coraggio. Drapery hardware, Vesta.
Tineke Triggs’ master suite design was inspired by the love story between David Bowie and his wife, Iman. “A sophisticated palette reflects Iman’s timeless glamour,” says Triggs, “while modern furnishings and angular forms speak to David’s edgier personality.” In the suite’s sitting area, the supermodel’s elegance is conveyed in the sleek Verellen sofa; while the Starman’s aesthetic is echoed by the radical Jiun Ho coffee table.
Additional Resources:
Area rug, Crescent Carpet Importers, through Cabana Home. Drapery panels and pillow (on chair and sofa), Romo, through De Sousa Hughes. Roman shades, Hartmann & Forbes. Sofa, Verellen. Chair, Coup Studio. Coffee tables, Jiun Ho. Red Dot (2015) artwork, Tom Lieber, through Dolby Chadwick Gallery.
“I was inspired by the opportunity to create a unique, modern, multifunctional area within a grand house,” says Lois Vinsel, founder of Lola Home Design. Vinsel transformed a double closet into a versatile space, fitting it with a Kohler stainless steel sink and faucet, brass hardware from Futagami and bleached-ash cabinetry designed by Lola Home and built by Christopher Faiss. A selection of Todd Hido photographs adds a touch of moodiness.
Additional Resources:
Photographs, Todd Hido. Teacups, coffee cups and saucers, Heath Ceramics. Tea towels, Small Gunns. Brass hardware, Futagami, through Nalata Nalata. Faucet and sink, Kohler. Cutting board, Amanda McAulay, through Heath Ceramics. Bud vase, Eric Bonnin, through Shed Healdsburg. Bowl, Kelly Farley, through Remodelista Market. Glass jar, Weck, through Heath Ceramics.
Heather Hilliard blurred the line between indoor and outdoor with her Garden Room, using textures and colors that mirror the lush landscape just beyond its walls. “The furniture placement suggests a space for informal entertaining,” says Hilliard. “Long, lively parties with meals cooked over the open flame of the wood-burning fireplace.” The Chris Lehrecke–designed dining table and stacked-oak cocktail table by Azadeh Shladovsky invite gathering over dinner or drinks.
Additional Resources:
Paint, Philippe Grandvoinet Decorative Painting, through Benjamin Moore. Carpet, Stark. Curtain fabric, Cowtan & Tout. Lantern, Paul Ferrante, through Hewn. Lounge chair, John Himmel. Lounge chair fabric, Pierre Frey. Dining table, Chris Lehrecke, through Ralph Pucci. Coffee table, Azadeh Shladovsky, through De Sousa Hughes. Mirror, Aedicule. Steel chairs, Lucca Antiques. Pillow (on lounge chair), Richard Andronaco, through Nobilis.
The heart of BaDesign’s upper terrace is a circular charred-wood sculpture designed by firm cofounder Branden Adams that speaks to sight, touch and smell. “It had to have enough visual weight in order to relate to the architecture of the home, or it would have felt out of place and temporary,” says Adams. The piece has a light fragrance of burnt wood, and its construction, upon closer inspection, reveals it is not a perfect circle but an organic structure formed by loose fragments of wood. “At a distance, the circular shape is familiar,” says Adams, “but as you get closer, it becomes a bit more mysterious.”
Additional Resources:
Planters, wood pedestals and wood circle, BaDesign.
Designing a bedroom for siblings can be tricky. Jennifer Wundrow and Heather Brock of Nest Design Company focused on fun and adventure; one corner of the room is adorned with rock climbing footholds, while Kino Guerin bookshelves are home to a library of bedtime stories. The two custom built-in beds by Five Star Cabinets also allow additional room for toys.
Additional Resources:
Wallpaper and sheets, Serena & Lily. Abstract artwork, Farell Beam. Shag rug, Krimsa. Chair, Christian Astuguevielle, through Holly Hunt. Desk lamp, Robert Long Lighting. Boulder cushions, Ronel Jordaan, through BaBoo. Animal foot stools, Takumi, through BaBoo. Doxylamine artwork, Damien Hirst, through Berggruen Gallery. Cudjow Bay artwork and Blue Suit Sleeper artwork, Isca Greenfield Sanders, through Berggruen Gallery. White Chocolate artwork, Wayne Thiebaud, through Berggruen Gallery. Artwork (trains), Christopher Brown, through Berggruen Gallery. 71 Caprice from Four Chevies artwork, Robert Bechtle, through Berggruen Gallery.
Nanette Gordon’s self-titled “Mom Cave” is a sanctuary in warm metallic tones. She wrapped the room in Osborne & Little’s Dragonfly Dance wallpaper, giving the space a subtle glamour. Highlights include a Gary Hutton drinks table, a Coup d’Etat Pragh chair, a metallic sunburst mirror from Anthem and a Tom Corbin Bronze Diva IV statue from Sloan Miyasato.
Additional Resources:
Carpet, Stark. Throw, Rosemary Hallgarten, through Edelman. Floor lamp, Fuse Lighting, through Hewn. Étagère, Coup d’Etat, through Hewn. Pool table, Gary Hutton, through Hewn.
“Our ‘Year of the Monkey’ mezzanine bath is the perfect place to indulge one’s senses,” says Dina Bandman of the bathroom she and Shelley Cahan designed. “The room is a combination of modern and masculine: a nod to the traditional but unrepentantly eclectic.” The polished white floor tile from Artistic Tile and the hand-painted ceiling by Shanon Geis—the latter echoing the geometric pattern in the tile—add modern touches, while traditional elements include De Gournay wallpaper—gilded in 22K gold—and window treatments from Holland & Sherry framed with Samuel & Sons trim.
Additional Resources:
Shower tile, Artistic Tile. Mirror and shower fixture, Arteriors, through Bassman Blaine. Sconces, Urban Electric. Cabinet, Ironies. Sink, New Marble Company. Sink and shower plumbing fixtures, Waterworks. Toilet, Kohler. Basket, Pottery Barn. Towels and bath mats, Neiman Marcus. Soap dish and monocle, Cavalier. Bud vase, marble claw, glass curio and vase, Arteriors. Table lamp, De Sousa Hughes. Books, Plantation and Cavalier. Candle jar, Gilt.
Gloria Marth honored the home’s architecture and materials with her artful powder room. “I love the mix of metals,” says Marth. “The bronze sconces with warm gold interior, the vanity pulls, the gold detail on the back splash and mirror frame—they’re like jewelry.” Marth also showcased artwork by Robert Mangold, sourced through John Berggruen Gallery.
Additional Resources:
Tables, Caste, through De Sousa Hughes. Faucet, Kallista, through Premier Bath and Kitchens. Light fixture, Michael McEwen, through De Sousa Hughes. Sconces, Holly Hunt, through Kneedler | Fauchère. Mirror, RH. Floor tile, vanity top and backsplash, Walker Zanger. Sink, Kohler, through . Soap dish, Sue Fisher King. Ceramic bowl and ceramic vase, Matthew Ward. Ceramic pitcher, Hudson Grace. Bronze bowl, Steven Haulenbeek, through The Future Perfect. Paint (throughout), C2. Vanity hardware, Rocky Mountain Hardware. Natural stone bowl, Gumps. Basket, Hudson Grace. Toilet, Duravit.
“It’s an urban habitat on a cloud—something beautiful and ecologically functional,” says Chih-Wei G.V. Chang of SWA Group of his space, a terrace with vast views of San Francisco, the Bay and the Marin Headlands. The eco-friendly planters from Green Form and IAP are home to a colorful array of flora, and Concept Urbain’s Bubble armchairs invite visitors to linger. Though the focus of this space is the abundance of plantings, 3D flowers from Farsoon sneak into the mix, functioning as “bouquets” in the daytime and subtle lighting at night.
Additional Resources:
Phono-phone (natural sound amplifier for phone), Studio C2.
Linda Sullivan transformed a storage closet into a bold, stylish bar, proving, she says, “functionality and beautiful design can come in all sizes.” Sullivan’s cabinetmaker crafted the custom cabinetry, finishing it with Benjamin Moore’s vibrant Blue Suede Shoes and brass hardware from Rejuvenation. “We believe every home should have a place away from the main living spaces designated for rest and relaxation,” says Sullivan. “And, in this home, a bar was the perfect solution.”
Additional Resources:
Wallpaper, Timorous Beasties. Lights, Arteriors. Tile, Ann Sacks.
Designed in the spirit of Annie Lowengart’s little sister’s childhood bedroom, ‘Smoll’s Room Redux’ is an animated, playful space that captures the joy and wonder of childhood. Shades of pink swath the drapes and shades, the Osborne & Little wallpaper on the nightstand, the Madeline Weinrib carpet and the Flavor Paper geometric wallcovering on the ceiling. Lowengart tapped Revitaliste to transform the collection of furniture from online marketplace Chairish into stylish fittings for the space.
Additional Resources:
Benches, Anthem. Dresser, Quintus. Artwork, Terry Romero Paul and Jeremy Holmes, through Simon Breitbard Fine Arts.
Comprising two spaces, Cynthia Spence’s vestibule is a dark, sexy evocation of the Bay. A burnished-gold light fixture from Hewn unites the two spaces and exudes a warm, mellow light. Spence created the dark blue custom wall treatments in collaboration with decorative painter Elan Evans and wrapped the walls in Holly Hunt cotton velvet teal wall coverings—reminiscent of the ocean.
Additional Resources:
Mask painting, Guy Diehl, through Dolby Chadwick Gallery. Abstract oil painting, Lisa Russell, through Dolby Chadwick Gallery. Carpet, Stark. Mirror, Paul Ferrante, through Hewn. Grille frame, Phoenix Gallery.
Katie Raffetto created a high-style domain with her luxurious dressing room and bath. She adorned the walls of the main space with Wabi from Calico Wallpaper, and washed the ceiling in Benjamin Moore’s high-gloss Peony. In the bath, she commissioned Willem Racké Studio to create a hand-painted limed finish.
Additional Resources:Carpet, Stark. Light, Hersh Design, through De Sousa Hughes. Trim, C2. Sconces, Waterworks. Denim and skirts, The Podolls. Dress, Slate & Willow, through Rent the Runway. Shoes, Freda Salvador. Accessories, Anthem Bed & Bath. Faucet and Tile, Waterworks. Light fixture, Apparatus. Artwork, Dolby Chadwick Gallery. Linens, Wevist. Towel bar, One Off. Accessories, Anthem Bed & Bath.