San Francisco Design Center

My heart starts beating faster as I get off of Highway 101 and make three short turns to get to this beautiful brick building, the San Francisco Design Center.   The SFDC is comprised of three buildings; the Showplace, Galleria and Garden Court. Together, they house over 100 showrooms and is open to the public.

I had to run up to the city, so I thought I would stop in and visit a few of my favorite designer showrooms.

One of the first showrooms I went into was the Christopher Peacock Cabinetry Showroom.  We’ve all seen their gorgeous ads in the magazines.  It’s even more lovely in person.

Did you know that Christopher Peacock has their own paint/color line?  You can see it here.

 

Another view of the same kitchen.

Another kitchen in the Christopher Peacock Cabinetry Showroom.    This kitchen is a much different feel than the one above and the design aesthetic is more casual.

A bathroom in the same showroom.  I love cabinets that have open shelving for towels and baskets.   The dark wood, marble cabinets and floors give this display grandeur.  That’s my BF Claire (shopper extraordinaire and ready to go in a moment’s notice!) in the mirror.

The last kitchen of the showroom.  Lovely cabinets with simple panels.  The backsplash mixes the style up a bit, but this look isn’t quite what I prefer.  The lighting in this photo wasn’t very accurate, as you can tell from the photo below of the same kitchen.

There are my beautiful carrera marble countertops!   Even though the light fixtures are stainless, like the stove, I think I would have preferred this type of lighting above the countertop…

Butterscotch Parallels Giclee Pendant Chandelier from Lamps Plus.

This was a tile showroom that we went into and I’m embarrassed to say that I can’t remember which one.  But, I love how they recessed the wall to add the oval mirror and encased it in white tiles.   The sconces are perfect for the space.

Here’s a close-up of the same space.

Another sink display in the same nameless showroom.  The tile below the pedestal sink is a bit busy for my liking, but I’m a big fan of pedestal sinks, so I had to photograph this display.

I LOVE the tile in this display.  The geometric pattern is so striking and perfect for this dark sink base.

Another wonderful display of geometric tile with a beautiful sink.  Very simple and understated.

We had a bit of time before we had to head out of the city, so we walked around the design district and found a few lovely shops…

Epoca, filled with treasures of yesterday and today.  But, be sure to bring your credit card with a big credit limit, because the prices are not for the faint of heart.

From their website… “consisting of antique and 20th century furnishings, the epoca collection spans the classic, traditional, and modern. a classically inspired pair of austrian empire ebonized side chairs, a traditional English George I burl elm chest-on-chest, or a modern French Art Deco etched glass chandelier may be that special piece that catches one's eye at epoca".

 

We found another treasure-trove in the design district that was just amazing.  They had antiques and reproductions alike.  There was something for everyone and we went digging!

My favorite item in the shop.   An original Tang Dynasty horse statue.  I believe the price tag was around $23,000!  A little bit above my budget, but I’m on the look-out for a good reproduction.  My friend and I were a bit worried about the stability of this little guy in the event of an earthquake, given it’s value.  I hope the shop owner is insured!

Walking deeper into the shop, my eye didn’t know where to go to first.  Beautiful bowls, statues, furniture and period pieces everywhere.

As you can see from this photo, we even went into the dark recesses of his back room to see all of the shop’s goodies!  The pottery and those carved wood pieces in the back were piquing my interest.

This vase is a reproduction of the original.  The color was more of a sea green.  It was absolutely beautiful, but I could not talk my friend into purchasing it.

We stopped at one final antique store before we left the city.  Those doors against the wall were absolutely gorgeous. 

An exterior garden area full of pottery and ironwork wrapped up our visit to the city.

Not bad for a quick trip to the city, huh?