A peek into the 2019 San Francisco Decorator Showcase.
A FORMERLY FADED NEOCLASSICAL 1,800-square-foot basement ballroom, reimagined by San Francisco’s Applegate Tran Interiors as a dark and moody nightclub-like lounge, was one of the most original and daring spaces at the 2019 San Francisco Decorator Showcase.
Against its backdrop of black ebony stained hardwood floors and high-gloss dark green painted walls and ceilings, dizzying yet exhilarating patterns, achieved with fabrics, ceramic tiles, veined marbles, lacquers and gilding, were complemented by commissioned art. One standout: several clear acrylic panels bearing fragments of Renaissance-style paintings by Linda Horning were suspended from the ceiling so that when the fragments overlapped — like old-fashioned animation cels — complete pictures came into focus.
Also on view: Korean artist Seon-Ghi Bahk’s suspended columnar charcoal sculpture from his An Aggregation series and a backlit “starburst” acrylic-and-resin wine rack designed by Vernon Applegate and Gioi Tran. Several groupings of lounge furniture included one with a white Sydney sofa from Poliform, designed by Jean-Marie Massaud, that grounded the busy but surprisingly chic space.
Editor-in-chief Zahid Sardar brings an extensive range of design interests and keen knowledge of Bay Area design culture to SPACES magazine. He is a San Francisco editor, curator and author specializing in global architecture, interiors, landscape and industrial design. His work has appeared in numerous design publications as well as the San Francisco Chronicle for which he served as an influential design editor for 22 years. Sardar serves on the San Francisco Decorator Showcase design advisory board.
