Not only does San Francisco boast some of the world's best restaurants and most awe-inspiring natural settings, it also plays home to an incredible roster of interior designers. One of my top picks is Cecilie Starin, whose approach to 'classic design with a modern twist' has me picking my jaw up off the floor. Her work oozes drama and grandeur, yet at the same time feels utterly livable.
The trick is to take traditional shapes--a cabriole-legged desk, a four-poster bed--and combine them in irreverent ways. A Louis VXI chair gets a zebra treatment; a marble Apollo head rests on the floor. Unite the look with a palette of refined yet multilayered neutrals and you're golden.
Channel Cecilie's style at home. Campaign-inspired pieces like a leather folding chair and mirrored chest exude aristocratic gravitas. Accents in ebony and cocoa have a high fashion sensibility, while a faux hide rug will fool even the most experienced safari trekker. Plenty of gilt, brass, and dark wood only looks like you have a butler on hand to polish all day: 'Jeeves, you missed a spot!'
Interiors images courtesy of Cecilie Starin Interior Design. Shopping Guide: 1. Mirrored Chest of Drawers 2. Gold Hurricanes 3. Brass Serving Tray 4. Cane and Velvet Occasional Chair 5. Campaign Chair 6. Zebra Hide Rug 7. Gold Branches Candelabra 8. Greek Motif Box 9. Italian Urn Lamp 10. Windowpane and Needlepoint Pillows 11. Treillage Gold Leaf Coffee Table