Showcase: Rooms We Wish We Had Room For
Transform a Space into a Wrapping Room, Vibrant Craft Area or Cookbook Nook
We can almost relate to some of the gorgeous bedrooms and living spaces in an always immaculately designed showcase home. "Hey, I sleep in a bed too!" I think. And even if my whole kitchen would fit inside that professional range, at least I have a kitchen to compare it to, right? Not so much these next spaces. When you're working with a mansion composed of more than 30 rooms and 6,000 square feet, you've got to think outside the box in terms of ways to use all that space. So in addition to the bedrooms, baths and living areas, designers of the 2011 San Francisco's Decorator Showcase have also imagined some rooms that, while not necessary, sure look like a joy to have.
Oh, to have even a wisp of the craft space that Lotus Bleu owner and designer Jeannie Fraise created! Everything about the space made me smile, from the crimson-red "Mimosa" wallpaper from Cole & Sons to the Madeline Weinrib zigzag rug.
Fraise commissioned the game table from Oomph (it's a larger version of one of their cocktail table designs), and surrounded it with banquette seating and piles of pillows in fabrics from Valentine Viannay and Raoul Textiles.
Felt rounds provide soft spots for gathering around this pint-size workspace, and a bulletin board art wall lets young artists hang their latest masterpieces with ease.
Paint supplies can quickly be cleaned up in the sink area to the right. The Casa Midi mirror above is available from Lotus Bleu.
Philpotts Interiors imagined the sky-lighted top floor main space as a "Rumpus Room," complete with an open space for dancing — along with custom daybed for taking a well-deserved rest.
The walls were done in Benjamin Moore's "Old Navy," and dotted with large-scale photography.
A configuration of bird cage chairs from De La Espada at the far end of the room provide space to chat.
A configuration of bird cage chairs from De La Espada at the far end of the room provide space to chat.
A collection of drums stand to the side, ready for an impromptu jam session. Cameroon juju hats punctuate the room as pieces of art.
The team from Sonoma Decorative Arts re-envisioned a small side closet into a fully-functional wrapping room, complete with worktop, papers, ribbon and other craft supplies.
The decorative painters used their skills to cover the walls in an intricate stencil of birds and flowers. It helps keep the small space feeling light, airy and a joy to spend time inside.
Brian Dittmar's "Cookbook Nook" was another room that instantly put a smile on my face. Located just off the kitchen, the designer turned what was once little more than a pass-through and landing from the staircase into a cozy corner for reading and writing recipes.
Tucked by the bay window, there's just enough room for a comfortable Lee Jofa armchair.
Tucked by the bay window, there's just enough room for a comfortable Lee Jofa armchair.
To the left is a workspace for thinking up and writing down recipes of one's own. Above is a painting on glass of "Phoebe the Lettuce Queen" by artist Cassandria Blackmore.
To the right of the reading area is a space for the owner's cookbook and vintage recipe card collection. Catch up on the Food Network — or replay favorite Julia Child episodes — on the television nestled between shelves.
You could tell designer Josephine Fisher had fun with her "Going to the Chapel" project, which came complete with wedding dress.
A vanity with Venetian glass mirror provides the perfect place for the bride to prepare for her big day.
And last but not least, Tinsley Hutson-Wiley envisioned a room at the top of every shoe fanatic's wish list, filled top to bottom with fabulous footwear.
A vintage chair upholstered in crushed velvet at the end of the closet makes a chic place to perch while changing into or out of one's heels.
The 2011 San Francisco Decorator Showcase is open to the public April 30 through May 30, 2011. For more information on the event, including how to purchase tickets, visit their website.
Which room would you choose?
More from the showcase home:
San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2011: Living Areas
San Francisco Decorator Showcase: Glorious Bedrooms and Baths
Which room would you choose?
More from the showcase home:
San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2011: Living Areas
San Francisco Decorator Showcase: Glorious Bedrooms and Baths