USA Houzz: A Playful Twist on Colonial Style
An eclectic apartment in San Francisco shows off DIY projects and a love for entertaining
Stacie Flinner describes her decorating style as “new traditional or whimsical colonial.” But whatever you call it, she has a knack for making a space her own, no matter what its size. Stacie and her husband, David, moved cross-country from a 42-square-metre apartment in New York City to an apartment more than twice that size in San Francisco. This gave the interior decorator and stylist the opportunity to create an eclectic yet personal space that’s ideal for entertaining and also showcases her DIY projects and the couple’s style.
Stacie’s mother, Leanne Zellmer, is also an interior decorator, so Stacie grew up entrenched in design, spending a lot of time at tile, lighting and hardware stores with her mum. “I was introduced to thoughtful design in an intentional way at a young age,” she says. Her design aesthetic is also heavily influenced by the years she spent living outside the United States, including a stint in India, and several mementos from those years decorate her home.
17th-century Monastery collection round dining table: Restoration Hardware; dining chairs: Craigslist
17th-century Monastery collection round dining table: Restoration Hardware; dining chairs: Craigslist
David bought this comfy leather chesterfield sofa on Craigslist while living in New York. The piece perfectly blends the couple’s two styles.
Stacie painted the graphic art piece that anchors the living room. The pair of gold étagères was a DIY project. Stacie spray-painted budget-friendly Ikea shelves gold and redid the corners to finesse their look. She also made the yellow pillows from a beloved J. Crew scarf.
Sconces: India; blue pillow: West Elm
Stacie painted the graphic art piece that anchors the living room. The pair of gold étagères was a DIY project. Stacie spray-painted budget-friendly Ikea shelves gold and redid the corners to finesse their look. She also made the yellow pillows from a beloved J. Crew scarf.
Sconces: India; blue pillow: West Elm
When it comes to styling surfaces, Stacie has a formula that she follows to keep the look balanced and fresh. She usually has a book, something vintage, something organic and something very clean. This design approach can be seen on the living room coffee table, where she’s placed her favourite book, fresh flowers and a streamlined presentation box. Inside the presentation box is a 3D-printed heart that David proposed to her with. “If I could only take one thing with me from this home, it would be the heart,” Stacie says.
Coffee table: Pier 1 Imports; raffia tray: West Elm; glass shadow box: West Elm; rug: eBay
Coffee table: Pier 1 Imports; raffia tray: West Elm; glass shadow box: West Elm; rug: eBay
Stacie likes that the artwork in this corner of the living room has a British colonial feel, which ties in with her aesthetic.
Side chair: Ralph Lauren; pillow: eBay; stool: Chinatown; art: Pippin Home
Side chair: Ralph Lauren; pillow: eBay; stool: Chinatown; art: Pippin Home
After falling in love with a console table she spotted in Ruthie Sommers’ home, Stacie found this one with similar bones online, repainted it white and placed it in the dining room. She hopes to eventually add a marble top, like the one she originally saw.
Console table: Overstock; horns: Uganda; lamp: vintage; Cattaneo mirror: Uttermost
Console table: Overstock; horns: Uganda; lamp: vintage; Cattaneo mirror: Uttermost
Entertaining is a regular part of the couple’s life, and they always maximise their space to fit the number of guests. To create a dining table for larger parties, they move their leafed desk (which seats 12) into the dining room and move the dining table into the space in the bedroom where the desk usually sits.
Desk: Craigslist; lamps: Ralph Lauren
Desk: Craigslist; lamps: Ralph Lauren
“Don’t shy away from inviting people over because you don’t think you can fit them. It’s more important to hang out and be friends,” David says. “People will give you a lot more grace when you’re in a smaller space. They’re just excited you’re welcoming them into your home.” Whether that means mixing cocktails in their bedroom or using their desk as a dining room table, he and Stacie aren’t afraid to think outside the box.
Bar cart: Target; candleholder: Etsy; sterling silver stirrers: vintage (from David’s mum); glasses: William-Sonoma; cocktail napkins: Oscar de la Renta
Bar cart: Target; candleholder: Etsy; sterling silver stirrers: vintage (from David’s mum); glasses: William-Sonoma; cocktail napkins: Oscar de la Renta
Though Stacie gets colour palette inspiration from her mum, she considers her aesthetic a brighter, slightly mismatched and eclectic version.
The ottoman in the bedroom is a DIY project she made using a base bought on Overstock and reupholstering it with Leopardo fabric from Scalamandré.
Wall hanging: India; Coastal jute rug: Home Decorators Collection; sheets: Ralph Lauren; blanket: Portugal; ottoman: Overstock; lamp: Drexel Heritage; nightstand: Domino
The ottoman in the bedroom is a DIY project she made using a base bought on Overstock and reupholstering it with Leopardo fabric from Scalamandré.
Wall hanging: India; Coastal jute rug: Home Decorators Collection; sheets: Ralph Lauren; blanket: Portugal; ottoman: Overstock; lamp: Drexel Heritage; nightstand: Domino
The mirror on top of the bedroom dresser was originally mahogany, but Stacie added gold leaf to it for a metallic touch.
Dresser: Hooker Furniture; lamp: Ralph Lauren; mirror: Brooklyn Junk; porcelain jar: vintage
Dresser: Hooker Furniture; lamp: Ralph Lauren; mirror: Brooklyn Junk; porcelain jar: vintage
The sailing ship shower curtain is a nod to David’s passion for fishing.
Elizabethan Sails shower curtain: Anthropologie
Elizabethan Sails shower curtain: Anthropologie
Another one of the pieces the couple brought from New York is this vintage pew. They were so determined to keep it that they sawed off 2 inches to make it fit into their kitchen. This is one of David’s favourite seats because it reminds him a lot of Stacie and her style.
A small table pulled up next to it turns the pew into a banquette.
Pew: Furnish Green; antlers: vintage; orange pillow: Stacie Flinner; red and white pillow: India; table: Cost Plus World Market
Pew: Furnish Green; antlers: vintage; orange pillow: Stacie Flinner; red and white pillow: India; table: Cost Plus World Market
A rug Stacie bought in India warms up the kitchen floor.
French kitchen marble pastry slab: Crate & Barrel; fruit bowl: vintage
French kitchen marble pastry slab: Crate & Barrel; fruit bowl: vintage
The entryway features a favourite Hermès scarf that Stacie had custom framed. The pattern and colours provide a jolt of personality.
Peekaboo acrylic console table: CB2; crystal vases: Ralph Lauren; cowhide rug: Sumner’s Home Decor; Threshold X-base stool: Target
Peekaboo acrylic console table: CB2; crystal vases: Ralph Lauren; cowhide rug: Sumner’s Home Decor; Threshold X-base stool: Target
David and Stacie, seen here, love to entertain. “Every Tuesday we have 15 people come over, so it’s important to us to have furniture that doubles up,” Stacie says. “You’ll see that a lot of furniture serves multiple functions.”
See more photos of this home
See more photos of this home
Who lives here: David and Stacie Flinner
Location: Alamo Square neighbourhood of San Francisco
Size: 88 square metres; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Stacie and David brought a lot of their favourite furniture pieces with them while making the cross-country move, to give themselves a comfortable and cosy foundation when decorating their new space.
One of Stacie’s favourite ways to inject personality into a space is by layering textures. “I’m more of a maximalist than a minimalist,” she says. She also loves mixing patterns and colours, as can be seen in the living room, which features a colour palette of cognac, burgundy and rich velvety blue. She also chronicles her projects on her blog. When mixing colours, Stacie advises keeping the patterns and accessories in a uniform colour palette.