valentine's day San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2010, Part III

On the first floor of the San Francisco Decorator Showcase, there is a jewel of a room created by the super talent Darin Giese of , what I call, San Francisco's answer to design heaven, Coup d'Etat. If you have never been there, it should be first thing to visit on your next trip to the City by the Bay.

As soon as you enter this "Hall of Wisdom and Enlightenment" you can just feel the wheels turning in the mind of Darin....a creative juggernaut. Just so you know....everything in the space is from Coup d'Etat....just in case something strikes your fancy.....from the fabulous terracotta finials, to the very chic dove grey leather sofa with the bullion fringe, to the custom light fixtures

made from vintage Amish cart wheel rims and grain cages.

Darin designed this brilliant canopied wing back chairs especially for the Showcase. Can inanimate objects send you into a swoon like they do me? I get the feeling we will be seeing more of this design in the next few years. What a perfect spot to curl up next to the fire and read the Arabian Knights.

The metal cage light fixture here used to be Great Plains grain cages according to Darin. It seems there is nothing that Darin and his Coup d'Etat cohorts cannot conjure into something unique and perfectly amazing.

And what would a Hall of Wisdom be without lots of leather bound books looked after by a flock of crows...very Edgar Allen I'd say. The light fixture was made from 20th century buggie wheel rims.

The painting is entitled Taiho Rock and is by artist Topher Delaney. It hangs above a custom English Baroque style bench upholstered in jet black hide....(can be custom ordered as well).

Here is the genius in his natural habitat, Darin Geise....hugely down to Earth and so very nice. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us Darin!

We could have stayed much longer.....but it was back out to the Foyer where we met Shirley Robinson owner of Robinson Finishes. She is standing in front of her hand-painted silk panels, which are a part of her beautiful new line of custom hand-painted wall coverings collection, now available at Michael Taylor Designs showrooms.

Here are just a couple of my favorites designs from Shirley's collection. Coral reimagined....

And the gracefully original and unexpected jelly fish...

valentine's day So much fun to see this new collection!

Next up.....the Bedrooms!!!! And they are fantastic!