valentine's day Upstairs Downstairs at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase

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Last Thursday I drove to San Francisco to see the 2009 Decorator Showcase. The day was just perfect....blue skies and a bit of an ocean breeze. It promised to be a perfect day. We arrived right around noon, so we had the whole afternoon to take our time and enjoy everything. The house, built in 1910, is located in what is referred to as "the most fashionable" part of Pacific Heights. It was built as a twin in the Georgian style by architect Nathaniel Blaisdell. The Showcase occupied the twin on the left.

I have to stay what struck me as we climbed the steps to the front door were the steps themselves. They were finished in white marble and were in perfect conditon....well...as perfect as they could be at almost 100 years old.

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We entered the front door and were greeted by this whimsical floral arrangement that extended from the entry level all the way up to the ceiling of the next floor. It was quite a statement and drew our attention to the beautiful balustrade. We discovered it was created by artist Yedda Morrison

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The Entry, Staircase and Upper Hallway were designed by Nicole Hollis. She used an abundance of Natural Curiosities in her design which she set off with a rich grey paint color on the ceiling and on the cabinet housing the items.

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I love the striking contrast between the white trim and grey paint colors as the backdrop for the natural colors of the objects in the case and the soft grey of the hide upholstered chairs.

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I am glad the hall was so interesting, or I would have passed it right by to get to the Living Room which was designed by one of my favorite designers: Myra Hoefer. She has an incredible talent for creating rooms that are both relaxed and elegant.

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I was just lucky to catch this image showing a dreamy quality with the sun's rays coming through the window. Myra had created shutters that were upholstered with what looked like white leather with nail head trim. There were beautiful ivory linen covered sofas with generously scaled silk covered pillows in soft grey and a citron-y gold.

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When I saw this John Dickinson table, I swooned a little. (I heard it is for sale by the way.....for so much more than I could afford, I am afraid I have forgotten the amount!)

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The color palette was just so beautiful....again the soft grey silk taffeta for the drapery panels and ivory linen slipper chairs.

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The sconces above the fireplace caught my eye: handmade white plaster made in France. They flank and large antique gold framed mirror. Myra is a master at scale I think.

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There were two paintings and a few original sculptures by Wade Hoefer. There was so much more in this room that my poor little camera could not adequately capture....you will just have to see for yourself!

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The Dining Room was adjacent to the Living Room, and was designed by another design great, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy. Of course, the first thing that caught our eye was the very dramatic "Big Bang' chandelier from Limn. An amazing focal point to be sure. The designer used this piece as a very "today" solution " showing confidence, rather than the aspiration shown by using a copy of a traditional chandelier, as is commonly done." I think it was quite successfully used. (I also overheard it is for sale as well!....any takers?)

The Dining Chairs are also a Diaz-Azcuy design for McGuire Furniture.

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We seemed to recognize many of the items in the beautiful collection of white running down the table. We asked the docent, and yes....many are from the personal collection of Mr. Diaz-Azcuy.

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This table was one of my favorite things in the Showcase. The flatware is a Diaz-Azcuy design, and the violet stemware is beautifully mismatched and are set off against the white vases. They are also part of the designer's own collection. I love how the dinner plates, with their traditional black and white pattern, contrast with the caviar dishes...a simple rectangle of glass with it's own glass spoon.

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The Family Room and Breakfast Room were designed by the very talented Matthew Leverone. There were so many things I loved about this room: the amazing coffee table....

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The cozy ottomans...

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The beautiful and graphic console in front of the windows....just to name a few. I great combination of really interesting furniture pieces grounded with a calm and serene color palette.

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The Breakfast Room by the same designer had a very appealing sculptural quality...again very serene in it's simplicity. I was quite taken with these two rooms!

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By this time, I was"catching" the uniting element from room to room. There was a recurrence of soft foggy greys mixed with a warm golden glow. The Kitchen presented this palette through the use of zinc for the counter tops and custom hood, and the beautiful light fixture floating like a sun kissed cloud. (The Liana S. Pendant by Aqua Creations)

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I do have a "thing" for the Heath Ceramics tile above the range I must admit.

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I thought this was such a clever way to create some drama in an otherwise ordinary small hallway. It look like there is a window right across from this door, right? Well you would be wrong. It was a custom light filter (gobo) shining a window mullion and tree leaf pattern on this foggy grey door.

This house has four levels....so we decided to head down to the lower level. Not sure what to expect, we ended up finding a perfect small jewel of a space designed by Darin Geise of the fabulous shop, Coup D'Etat. It measured all of 8 feet wide, but was packed with atmosphere.

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It was fully paneled in what appeared to be reclaimed barn wood....a wonderful backdrop to the Renaissance Portraits and tufted upholstery. My photo of the pendant light did not do it justice I am afraid.

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The perfect little hideout for reading...perhaps Jane Austin....ok....War and Peace?

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Another little space with it's fair share of personality was the Vintner's Vault designed by Michelle Wempe of Zumaooh.

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We were tempted....we really were.

With Four Floors of packed with design inspiration, this first installment has covered the "Downstairs" levels. There are quite a few rooms that my camera could not adequately capture. So, if you are in the Bay Area, I hope you have a chance to visit the Showcase! It is truly well worth your attention. This Memorial Day Weekend is the last weekend! Tickets are available at the door. For more inforamtion, please click here.

On Monday, I will take you "Upstairs" for more glamourous interiors!

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It really was a fantastic day by the Bay!

valentine's day Book Signing Event at Gump’s: Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

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Counterclockwise from bottom right: Diane Dorrans Saeks(author of Orlando Diaz-Azcuy from Rizzoli Books), Orlando Diaz-Azcuy (iconic Architect and Designer), Marta Benson (CEO of Gumps), and me.

I was so lucky to be invited to the book debut party at Orlando Diaz-Azcuy by Diane Dorrans Saeks in San Francisco last Thursday! The book is wonderful, and I am a long time admirer of Mr. Diaz-Azcuy, so was so happy to be able to have my copy signed by both this brilliant architect/designer and the book’s author.

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Beautiful Lilacs at the signing table

We drove from Sacramento that afternoon to downtown San Francisco, and hurriedly walked over to Gumps from the parking garage, and who should I spy immediately upon walking in? Designer, Scot Meacham Wood from Tartanscot blog! We had made a plan to meet, but had never met before. I could spot this very handsome blogger right away. He is as charming in person as he is on his blog.

The party was in full swing when we arrived, but we were very happy to wait in line while looking at all of the spectacular creations of Andrew Fisher of Fisher Weisman . The coffee table in the photo below is just one example:

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Another piece with bronze legs and exotic wood veneer:

valentine's day I am sure I spotted Grant Gibson, designer and blogger in line ahead of us, but alas, missed meeting him. (We have since touched base and will try to meet up after his trip to Venice!) After getting our books signed we had to tour Gumps to see what beautiful new treasures had been added since our last visit. We found this gorgeous table setting upstairs: valentine's day

I loved the black lacquer chairs! The smoky glass wine and water glasses were perfect with the pewter linen table cloth and place settings.

Another table with striking candelabras:

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And the new furniture vignettes definitely give one design ideas to dream about:

After our upstairs looksee, it was back downstairs for more sightseeing. While I was looking at the newest from John Derian:

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I ran into my old friend David Duncan Livingston, amazingly talented photographer and one of the main photo contributors to the Orlando Diaz-Azcuy book. Please do check out his website. You will no doubt recognize many of his photos from some of your favorite magazines. Oh! And he also has a blog here. (Great music too!)

David snapped this shot of me and my friend Lise who came with me. He also took the picture of Diane Dorrans Saeks, Marta Benson, CEO of Gumps, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy and me up at the top of the post. (It seems I have a thing or two to learn from David.)

valentine's day The event was so much fun and it was an honor to meet one of my design heroes: Mr. Diaz-Azcuy. Thank you so very much to the gracious Diane Dorrans Saeks and Marta Benson for the most kind invitation. It was a wonderfully memorable evening!

valentine's day Rizzoli Book Sneak Peek: Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

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One of the things that makes me excited to go to work in the morning is the prospect of pouring over my treasured design books for inspiration and information. When I was informed that another top notch design book by the esteemed and very chic author, Diane Dorrans Saeks was in the works, and that it was about an architect and designer that I have much admired for many years....well....I barely had the patience to wait for a copy.

Orlando Diaz-Azcuy is a treasured California architect...at least I think of him as our very own, even though he has projects all over the world and is originally from Cuba. Mr. Diaz-Azcuy was born and raised in Pinar del Rio, Cuba until the political climate made it more prudent for his parents to send him to study architecture at Catholic University in Washington D.C.. After graduating, he high-tailed it to Northern California where he has been ever since. Living in San Francisco, Mr Diaz-Azcuy travels often abroad and very often to New York, where he also keeps an office, working and developing his designer's eye.

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Photo: Tim Street Porter

In an Edwardian house in San Francisco, Mr. Diaz-Azcuy placed a graphic sculpture by Harry Bertoia on a gilded marble-top Italian table, showing each to advantage. - Diane Dorrans Saeks

You may know Mr. Diaz-Azcuy as a superb Architect and Designer, but he is also the creator of multiple beautiful lines of furniture for McGuire, Light fixtures for Boyd Lighting, and fabric lines for Schumacher and Pallas Textiles. You will see many of his product designs in the photos here.

I imagine Mr. Diaz-Azcuy has used the residences he has had over the years as laboratories for his creations and ideas. The book cover is a case in point. Mr. Diaz-Azcuy (ODA) creates a certain tension in the placement of his collected furniture pieces in his Pacific Heights modern apartment. In this very modern space, he has placed a 1930's leather chair by Danish designer Fritz Henningsen as if it were a piece of sculpture. You can see one of his sconces designed for Boyd next to the very moody painting.

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Photo: David Duncan Livingston

In the Dining Room, ODA drapes the table with silk taffeta and tops it with antique Venetian crystal and silverware from Gumps. Quite a departure for what one would call a contemporary apartment. But that very thing is what makes it interesting. The successful contrast between new and old...the interjection of the unexpected. That is what sets a "great" designer apart from the merely "good".

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Photo: Grey Crawford

ODA's house in St. Francis Wood, a 1930's Spanish colonial with Pacific Ocean views, reminded him of the house he grew up in, in Havana Cuba. In this home, ODA reversed his contrast of new/old. He started with a traditonal shell and took the opportunity to fill it with modern furnishings. In the dining room you will find one of 11 Saarinen tables ODA has collected over the years. The chandelier is one designed by ODA for Boyd. He has surrounded the table with George II gilded chairs providing luxury and that "surprising contrast" that is his hallmark.

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Photo: Matthew Millman

The Living Room is again a mix of old an new. The white lacquer table in the center was designed by ODA exclusively for HBF, and the floor lamp was designed for Boyd. The mix of white linen upholstered antiques, Mies Van der Rohe ottomans, silk taffeta pillows, and ornate gilded candlesticks "energize" the space.

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Photo: John Vaughan for Architectural Digest

In another of ODA's San Francisco homes, he strays from his modernist leanings and cocoons in a 1913 Beaux Arts building on Russian Hill. The monochromatic color scheme with touches of black and warm woods creates a cleaner more tailored traditonalism, however. Here ODA reveals in his love of classic forms, but still he brings in the unexpected modern twist: the painting of two Korean sisters above the sofa by Lordan Bunch.

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Photo: John Vaughan for Architectural Digest

In this Russian Hill Dining Room, ODA has used his own design for the Dining Table. He has placed a gilded Austrian Beidermeier chandelier above and Italian Neoclassic chairs circa 1860 from Ed Hardy Antiques. The white bowl is an item you will see again and again in an ODA interior. It seems to embody a richness in it's traditonal classic form and simplicity that speaks of the designer's aesthetic. Note that it is also on the white lacquer table in the photo of the St. Francis Wood Living Room above. When you get your own copy of this wonderful book, take a moment and search through all of the photos to find it. Always beautiful.

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Photo: John Vaughan

In the study of the Russian Hill house you will see the chairs used in Dining Room of the St. Francis Wood house. Ebonized floors and green silk upholstered walls provide drama in a room with little light ,transforming it into a media and evening entertaining room.

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Photo: Jeremy Samuelson

Mr. Diaz-Azcuy makes another style departure in his Sonoma weekend cottage. Far from the madding city crowd, in fact quite remote, he created a country retreat, but one with a "sophisticated and polished look". The tiny bedroom above was given drama with green striped painted tenting. The simple linen upholstered bed is a quiet backdrop to the gilded architectural fragment and the antique Swedish table.

One can see from Mr. Diaz Azcuy's own homes the breadth of his skill and style. It is not a huge leap for him to create interiors for clients in the same vein:

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Photo: David Duncan Livingston

The clients lucky to own this home are long time friends of ODA and the trust between designer and client is evident. As said by ODA: "This is one of the few clients who understands the patina of age, and the beauty of of antiques, textiles and objects that show signs of time, and fine craftsmanship. ....... They totally understand that the new house benefits from a mix of venerable antiques and custom-made new peices." Oh, that we all had clients like these in abundance!!

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Photo: David Duncan Livingston

The living room of this house shows a beautiful mix of textiles, furniture peices, art and color. The art deco painting, one of a pair, were the first things acquired for the house. I love the use of a corner banquette. Perfect viewing of the rest of the room! The other photos of this very large room are reason enough to see the whole book!

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Photo: David Duncan Livingston

The family room of this client's San Francisco St. Francis Woods home is an example of how ODA can create a modern space that is inviting and liveable for a large family . The warm colors and cozy textures just call one to sit and relax. Note the matching storage bins in the book shelves for toys and games keep it serene and restful, yet friendly for the kids. The tables are by ODA for McGuire.

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Photo: Tim Street Porter

From casual and cozy, to city sophistication, ODA seems to be able to handle any type of design challenge. You can see the Bertoia Sculpture on the gilded table in this Pacific Heights living room that was pictured ealier on. Fortuny Silk on the pillows. Beautiful.

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Photo: Grey Crawford

I simply love this Napa Valley kitchen. It has all of the elements one sees often enough: black cabinets, Carrera marble counters, classic subway tile. But the way in which the elements are brought together are somehow unique and more interesting than the usual. Perhaps it is the shelf created out of the tiles, the black and white photo,the metal window frame, the overscaled accessories....whatever it is, it works for me.

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Photo: Tim Street Porter

This home, located near the Golden Gate bridge above the Pacific, is a 1920's Spanish Colonial owned by a family with three young children. This home was designed by Greg Stewart, one of the principal partners of ODA Design Associates along with David Aldroyd (both of whom joined the company soon after it's inception in 1987). It is clear there is a meeting of the minds when it comes to the design aesthetic at ODA Design Associates. The modern Richard Serra monoprint creates a dynamic foyle for the eighteenth century Spanish chair. Bronze and rakes table by Ingrid Donat.

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Photo:Lisa Romerein

This last room is a collaboration of sorts between Mr. Diaz-Azcuy and clients, architect Andrew Skurman and his wife, sculptor Francoise Skurman. The envelope had been designed by ODA and Skurman more than a decade before for an apartment building. The Skurmans moved in after their realtor notified then it was available. " More than a dozen years old, it still looks startingly fresh" says Skurman. The bedroom sitting area is simply stunning. The combination of the Venetian mirrors, "Fresh Fat" plastic table by London designer Tom Dixon, white leather Odin settee by Konstantin Grcic, and antique turned leg stool is magic.

So....have I tempted you? The book is beautifuly written.... every page keeps your attention. This is something I have simply come to expect from books put together by Diane Dorrans Saeks. She has a way of engaging the reader which I enjoy so much. As I mentioned in this post about Santa Barbara Living, Ms. Dorrans Saeks takes obvious pleasure in speaking with people...all kinds of people. So it is small wonder she is able speak of them in the same real and enthusiastic way.

I have only hit the tip of the iceburg here. There are so many more wonderful homes, beautifully photographed and chronicled. And the multiple office spaces of ODA Design Associates are also pictured. Of course, I didn't want to give too much away! You will want to curl up and enjoy this book for yourselves.

Another home run from Rizzoli! Many thanks!

Available in bookstores ( and the Katiedid Bookshop link in the sidebar!) this May. Keep an eye out. You will be glad you did!