Subtlety isn’t something renowned San Francisco-based interior designer and author Ken Fulk is known for. On the contrary, Fulk’s maximalist aesthetic — think lush colors, layered textures and patterns, and vintage furnishings — lends a decidedly luxurious, cinematic air to every project he touches, from homes to hotels. “I describe every project like the movie in my mind because to me, design has always felt like movie-making, and I think of myself as a director,” says Fulk, whose firm has offices in New York and Los Angeles, in addition to San Francisco. “Much like film, I describe the vision to my team like a script and we bring that to life visually through characters, colors, influence, culture and even a soundtrack.”
Epitomizing his approach are two newly opened hospitality projects in the Bay Area: the Cottages at Little Saint, located behind the plant-based eatery, coffee lounge, and wine and cocktail bar Little Saint in Healdsburg, and the Huntington Hotel, a historic San Francisco gem on Nob Hill that has been shuttered for six years and is reopening this month with much fanfare after a top-to-bottom remodel.
Consisting of four cottages built in the 1980s, the Cottages at Little Saint channels the spirit of iconic late-1960s and ’70s Laurel Canyon musicians like Joni Michell; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and the Rolling Stones with bespoke details including beamed ceilings, vintage-inspired wallpaper, vibrant tile and cozy fireplaces that blend whimsy and nostalgia with modern creative flair. Nestled among quiet walking paths, each cottage is stocked with a curated selection of products and a record player and vinyl collection to set the mood, and a heated pool is on-premise. “Beckoning the creative and bohemian spirit of Laurel Canyon, we’ve woven a tale where artists and their muses come together to relax and retreat to the sunny charm of small-town life,” Fulk says.
Meanwhile at the Huntington Hotel, Fulk applied his discerning sense of style to usher in a new era for the gracious 143-room Georgian property, which was built in 1922 as a luxury high-rise apartment building named for railway magnate Collis P. Huntington and later repositioned as a hotel that played host to numerous celebrities and dignitaries for nearly a century. Honoring the Huntington Hotel’s storied legacy while imparting a present-day sense of elegance and opulence, Fulk took design cues from San Francisco film noir movies The Maltese Falcon and Vertigo, complementing the building’s stately plasterwork ceilings and boiserie panels with deep, rich hues like hunter green and black, and timeless materials such as polished wood, brass, leather and marble. The hotel’s Nob Hill Spa and The Big Four restaurant, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, are also reopening.
“We’re returning the gleam to our city’s crown jewel at the Huntington Hotel, reimagining it as its original purpose — a grand residential building with amenities and destinations for repeat visitors and locals alike,” Fulk says. “We’ve revitalized the hotel, restoring its most iconic details and layering in new experiences to properly set the stage for the next generation.”
Lotus Abrams has covered everything from beauty to business to tech in her editorial career, but it might be writing about her native Bay Area that inspires her most. She lives with her husband and two daughters in the San Francisco Peninsula, where they enjoy spending time outdoors at the area’s many open spaces protected and preserved by her favorite local nonprofit, the Peninsula Open Space Trust.
