Color + Literary Themes Dot San Francisco Decorator Showcase

Past is present behind the tall fluted columns and stately front doors of the Dutch Colonial mansion at 2898 Broadway (a stretch of pavement fittingly nicknamed “Billionaire’s Row”) where The San Francisco Decorator Showcase recently opened with can’t-miss designs on display. The 125-year-old home has hosted the event before, back in 1989, and this year (for the event’s 45th) design pros have once again filled the rooms with delights, proving the second time can be a charm. From intriguing color stories to tantalizing textures, read on for a look at the spaces whose concepts made us do a double-take.

A Peek At Highlights From The San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2024

Color-Forward Kitchens

Photo: Christopher Stark

One of the home’s two kitchens, the jewel-box butler’s model on the main floor, is designed by Kristen Peña of K Interiors with aubergine walls by TBC Plaster Artisans, elegantly scalloped casework (including china cabinets and stools made by her husband, Luis, the craftsperson behind Peñamade) and bookmatched veined slabs from Da Vinci Marble. Many of the flawless details are executed by Forma Construction.

Photo: Paul Dyer

Upstairs, a larger kitchen by Chantal Lamberto of Chantal Lamberto Interiors is aptly named “Culinary Calm.” The light-filled room’s slate-blue cabinets, blue-gray soapstone from Da Vinci Marble and Classic Brass hardware were selected to evoke the elegant, peaceful vibe of a British manor house. Lamberto wowed visitors last year in a bedroom outfitted with quilts she made herself, and this year she upped the style stakes by hand-weaving the seats and backs of a pair of dining chairs.

Bedroom Twinsies

Photo: R. Brad Knipstein Photography

The sleeping quarters are all big wows this year (including a primary suite by Peruri Design Company and a guest room by Evgenia Merson Design), but the bedrooms for the younger set are particularly appealing.

Case in point: “A Room for Two” by Ashi Waliany of Cusp Interiors, where twin beds live toe-to-toe under a bank of windows, creating a sweet place to sleep or read. The designer was inspired by the children’s classic Harold and the Purple Crayon, and details such as peaked headboards crafted by Arden Home, Porter Teleo wallpaper (whose design will be familiar to all Harold fans), and Made by Hand’s moon-like Knit Wit light fixture are as charming as the book itself.

Photo: John Merkl

On the lower level, Ansley Majit and Stephanie Waskins of Lark + Palm made a chic, layered guest bedroom featuring a pair of beds united by a single, plush headboard. This space also has literary inspiration: W.H. Auden’s poem For Friends Only, which contains the line, “This room awaits from you / What you alone, as visitor, can bring, / A weekend of personal life.” The designers imagine that the space, whose other notable features include a colorful wallpaper with a stamp motif and custom and modern interpretations of steamer trunks, is animated when friends come to stay.

Purposeful Passageways

Photo: Lauren Andersen, SEN Creative

This house has more than 11,000 square feet of living space, and there are many grand, must-see rooms (like Tucker & Marks‘ dining room, Tineke Triggs‘ entry lounge and de la Cruz Interior Design’s observatory), but a pair of more diminutive passageways loom large.

One of such is the dynamic entry by Nancy Evars of Evars Collective. It flutters with a She She wallcovering dubbed Freebirds, featuring avians of all shapes and sizes. The pattern is framed by classic molding painted a vibrant hue called Adventure by Little Greene Paint. The round center table designed by Evars and the small Made Goods writing desk give visitors a place to perch before moving deeper within the house.

Photo: Jessica Burke

Photo: Jessica Burke

Similarly, designer Katie Monkhouse of Katie Monkhouse Interior Design created an intriguing landing spot and living space at the top of the stairs on the uppermost floor that she describes as an area that “begs you to pause and rest.” She’s made the idea possible and desirable with a wraparound sofa, a “plinth-turned-planter” crafted with marble from IRG, and a stunning wood-and-rope wall installation by artist Windy Chien. This art-filled, comfortable hallway is so much more than a landing—it’s a place to relax, reflect and enjoy.

These and other rooms are apt demonstrations of the many creative talents of the San Francisco Design Community. Tour the house through May 27, 2024 by purchasing an event ticket here. Proceeds benefit the San Francisco University High School Financial Aid Program. Get more information on the event’s website.

Luxe Interiors + Design is a corporate sponsor of the 2024 San Francisco Decorator Showcase.