Tips From the San Francisco Decorator Showcase House

On this post, tips and ideas from the San Francisco Decorator Showcase home, and lunch at the George Lucas Film Campus in the Presidio!

Welcome to the Weekend Meander with Elizabeth and Juliet where we share our finds and other cool things.

A day at the SF Decorator Showcase and lunch with Juliet!

You know I had to get a lunch in there! I joined Juliet at the annual San Francisco Decorator Showcase on Thursday. We met up at the Presidio (more about that following), and Ubered to the house. We both dressed in comfy linen pieces and brought sweaters to tie over our shoulders, as we know SF can be cold. Juliet had her cute Quince linen pants and I wore a pull on cotton skirt and tank under an older linen Theory blazer.

This is our second time going and 2024’s house was stunning and also in Pacific Heights. This 1897 Queen Anne-style Victorian, is 9,500 sf and up for sale for $25 million. The owners invested $500k and the designers and vendors pay the rest. It was all done in under two months, as a staircase was built and another removed just before this began. We both agreed we loved this home even more than 2024’s beauty. It’s three stories, but well laid out, with a terrific yard, and spaces that feel cozy and useful.

The entry and the front windows of this home take in an expansive full view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay, and the Legion of Honor. It’s all thanks to an entry that is two flights up, and a home which is very vertical, on a Pacific Heights hill. View from the front of house…

The entry space by Kendall Wilkinson was done in gorgeous blues and had a curtained entry -and a small powder room and coat closet space. I like that the original stained glass windows were left intact.

The entry powder roomy and cloakroom was by Rachel Scheff Design Studio.

I loved the dining space and the bar. This was designed by Marsh & Clark and constructed by Faherty Construction, who were so nice and chatted to us about creating these beautiful storage corners in a square room.

The beautiful main front room with a view of the bay with a swing was inspired by Indian women and created by Peruri Design.

The kitchen by Tineke Triggs was earthy and cozy and had a built in banquette- and attached family room with a bird theme called The Pheasantry.

The yard by Martinelli Design had some great design with different levels and spaces. Juliet and I said we’d like to order lunch please out there. The custom made fire pit was from Carlsbad company Stoneyard Inc.

This bedroom by Jeffery Neve was inspired by the Preppy Handbook was an incredible mix of textures and I loved it. The bathroom wallpaper and the painted furniture was beautiful.

My most favorite space may have been this Delft inspired room with pinstripe walls and china by Chantal Lamberto. Balloon shades are back!

Menlo Park designer Aly Gay created a mahjong playing space with a hidden reading nook around the corner, a total ladies’ retreat!

This attic room by Jeanne Renee Interiors with toile wallpaper and a canopy bed with quilt motif fabric was a stunner and even had a patio with a mini kitchen.

I adored this and wondered if the quilted bed was inspired by Gloria Vanderbilt’s quilted room.

The small patio off this attic room. Isn’t the stone and painted floor beautiful?

A tiny closet and formerly closed off window was converted to this ‘Study Abroad’ themed room by Maker & Moss. I loved this wallpaper and mix of traditional with modern.

Tips from the Decorator Showcase House

This house had so many styles which I appreciated. Right now design runs the gamut from earthy and moody colors, to ladylike, and also hip and mod. No matter what your tastes, there are ideas to take away. These are the themes I noticed…

1. Make the ceiling something special as every single space seemed to have a unique paint, wallpaper or treatment. Nothing was left white. (Dining room ceiling roses by Faherty Construction mentioned above.)

2. Closets are an opportunity to create a nook to read, a desk, or even as a coffee bar. Below a closet converted to a vanity/desk by Jeanne Renee Interiors.

3. Chairs can be useful to hold some of your book collection and make a cute prop for the room when not being used.

4. Inexpensive and unique wall art can be done with ceramics or prints. One wall bedroom was sweet with just unframed botanicals pinned in a grid. Think charm. (Above and below Chantal Lamberto.)

5. Props are a way to add character. Bring out your favorite books, games, and stage your spaces with things you love. A dish of pretty earrings, a vintage photo in a cute frame, make things personal and cool. Even a vignette on the desk by Maker & Moss adds interest and personality to your spaces.

6. Layering and more is more is key at these showhouses. Mix fabrics and prints and if you’re not confident they work, stay in the same color scheme. Birds of a Feather bedroom by Sonoma Interiors mixes it up in permutations of blush.

The showcase house it is open until May 25th and tickets benefit the financial aid program at San Francisco University High School. Honestly, the photos don’t do the house justice and there are so many special design touches that can’t be fully appreciated on camera. More in depth about the process of making this happen on SFGate.

The main entrance room above by Kendall Wilkinson Design.

I mentioned the designers by photos and links. You can see the full list of house designers here on their site.

You might also like my post and tour of the 2024 Designer Showcase House -on the same street!

The Lucas Films and the One Letterman Campus at the Presidio

Did you know that George Lucas’s film companies -Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and LucasArts, occupy a 23 acre campus with beautiful views of the Legion of Honor? I had no idea and you know I get around the city and the Presidio. It is a picturesque and quiet campus with rolling hills, a Starbucks, and lovely paths. Juliet made us lunch reservations at the center’s restaurant, Piccino, very near (a mile and a half) to the decorator showcase so we parked there before Ubering to the house. We stopped to wander a bit and found the Starbucks with a great view of the Legion and trees blossoming.

If you are a George Lucas fan, the lobby of Building B is open to the public during business hours, which has a gallery with Star Wars props and costumes. The Yoda fountain in the courtyard, (a popular picture spot), and the Skywalker Ranch General Store where they sell Lucas Films merch -and George’s wine from his vineyard. Who knew he had a winery? Apparently not me.

This great blog post I stumbled upon shares how this center came to be and how the public chose Lucas’s proposal for this former hospital site. His main goal was to preserve the feel of this area, and not make money for himself, but rather help the Presidio stay self supporting and solvent so it wasn’t sold off in pieces, which I am grateful for. Though Lucas Films was sold to Disney, George still owns all these buildings.

Piccino Restaurant in the Presidio

Juliet chose our lunch spot and it was a winner. Piccino is the lovely on-site restaurant for Lucas films and it offers farm-to-table Italian-inspired fare. We had ressies for the patio, but since it was a more stereotypical SF day, we opted for indoors.

Juliet and I started with their yummy focaccia (I’m so glad to have a friend who loves carbs as much as I do), and Arnold Palmers because that’s how we roll.

The menu has pizzas, salads, pastas, and lots of fresh specials. After interpreting the menu for us (it’s a little unclear what is a pizza or a main dish), Juliet chose the pasta with sausage and I had the asparagus and snap peas with chicken. Mine was utterly delicious and I would order it again. All in all, food gets a 10/10 from me, service needs a little work, and ambiance is bright, cozy and chic. Cost is on the higher end, but quality is excellent. The location cannot be beat and you can park right at the center for free, and enjoy a wander.

Put Piccino and this arts center on your list to check out if you are in the city, or as a lunch idea if you are seeing the showcase house.

Mother’s Day

It’s Mom’s Day weekend I hope all the moms get a little extra love and care this week. I am talking about ALL kinds of mama’s here- step mamas, pet mamas, grandmothers and all who mother! There are so many who show up for others in this world, and who deserve appreciation. Make sure you get to do something nice, and if you can’t be with loved ones- treat yourself.

Sometimes my kids ask me what I want for Mother’s DAY and I tell them just to be together! What I like to do more than anything is have a nice lunch or outing with my family. I’ll be thinking of my own mama Suzanne. It’s hard to believe she’s been gone 16 years now. I still want to call her. I love this photo as it really shows what kind of fun person my mom was. She was silly and never took anything too seriously. I am grateful for the time I had with her and that my sons knew her well and adored her. I know I am lucky to still have my dad nearby.

Speaking of dad….he’s been helping me put my tomato garden in and next week I’ll share my garden plan and some tricks to get them to thrive. It’s go time for summer planting according to papa, so stay tuned.

Other Good Things…

At the showhouse they had a pop-up from darling children’s brand Oso & Me a Bay Area company committed to sustainable and smartly designed and ADORABLE children’s clothes! If you have a small one in your life or just need a gift, check them out.

If you missed it, Elizabeth shared a dessert– the most beautiful Strawberry Swirl No Churn Ice Cream. Yay for summertime foods soon!

Do you know what the best white t-shirts are? In the name of fashion science, Juliet bought 12 and spills the tee (got that?) Go here for her White T Edit.

Speaking of white shirts, I updated the blog’s most popular post on white button ups if you need a fresh one and some styling inspiration.

I’m looking for things to wear to Hawaii and just bought this flattering black one piece swimsuit (I bought M) – it’s now half off! I also want this Kaua dress -or this Kaia short dress.

If you are concerned about the upcoming Midterms happening, one of the best things you can do is be a poll worker. You get paid, and get to make sure one of the most successful parts of our nation stays that way. Go to Power to the Polls to learn more.

If you missed last weeekend’s post, I shared our day out on the San Mateo coast visiting Pescadero beach and Audubon trail, -plus a lunch spot & more.

Wishing you a happy weekend,

Kim

Please stop by Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs for more good things…

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