FASHION FORWARD
The Luxurious Living Room In This San Francisco Condo Is
Part of a Glamorous Floor-to-Ceiling Makeover
Written By Jeanine Matlow
Photography By Lindsay Tella
What celebrities wear on the red carpet has been known to inspire our wardrobes. As Michelle Workman shows, the enticing ensembles can lead to lavish living spaces, too. The designer, and owner of Michelle Workman Interiors in Los Angeles and San Francisco, was able to connect the dots from her client, who has a passion for fashion, and a photo the homeowner chose of actress Julianne Moore sporting an emerald gown and pink lips at the Oscars.
“She sent [the photo] as an example of what she loved in fashion and I translated that into decor,” says Workman. Not everyone would go with such a bold palette given a 1,000-square-foot condo in Pacific Heights, California, but Workman knows how to get the most from every hue. She also has a knack for getting inside a client’s head. “[The client] wanted to have a space that reflected her personality; that she felt ultimately inspired by and yet comfortable in,” says the designer.
Though the fashion photos the homeowner chose were dominated by pink and green, the interiors she gravitated toward were neutral. “There was a disconnect between what she was passionate about and what she thought she wanted in her home,” says Workman. “When I pointed out the difference, she said she thought she was ‘supposed’ to do her home more neutral; that’s what her friends had. But, she was absolutely game to try something that was more a reflection of the real her.”
Though the designer is a risk taker when it comes to color, her clients often need some convincing. “It’s hard for people to see the future and that’s essentially what designers do—they see your home in the future,” she says. “Because my philosophy is all about capturing the personality, I try to express their design color palette[s] in that manner. If a client is very upbeat and enthusiastic, I might pick really bright and happy colors for their design.”
In this living room, the ceiling wears the same emerald green as the walls. “It’s like you’re enveloped,” says Workman, who designed the entire home. “I’m a big proponent of same-color ceilings. If you do white, it breaks the eye like a big white swatch.” The links to fashion come from the colors and the fabrics. “They could be translated to a satin or silk gown,” explains Workman.
A vintage reproduction turquoise chair sits near the window seat that is covered with a hot pink cushion and animal print pillows—like a magenta velvet tiger pattern and a faux fur leopard with a turquoise satin back. The windows sport slightly off-white satin soft-fold roman shades, topped with a valance. An abstract painting by an emerging Los Angeles artist represents Sicily, in honor of the homeowner’s heritage. “It’s very personal to her,” says Workman, who complemented the artwork with photographs by Gay Ribisi.
The vintage coffee table with a brass base and hoof feet was a favorite of Workman, who loaned it to her client until the right one came along, only to have the homeowner buy it instead. A slightly smaller than average gold-linen sofa with a gold metallic print was custom designed for the homeowner’s petite stature. Nearly black wood floors are topped with a white faux fur rug that Workman describes as “very fluffy.”
A Mary McDonald lamp sits on an end table with a black marble top, scalloped shape, and iron legs. The other end table, topped with stone, has an iron base that features a fish-scale pattern. With so many dynamic details, it’s difficult to imagine that this collaboration almost didn’t come to fruition.
“The homeowner did not expect that I would take on her project as it was small, and [she] almost didn’t bother reaching out to me,” says Workman. “But after talking to her, I decided that I should come see the space and meet her in person. After spending two days with her, I was completely charmed and I felt comfortable that even though it was a small project, she was on board to do it right.”
Workman recognizes that design not only reflects our current desires, but our dreams, too. “I feel that it should represent the best side and attributes of ourselves, so that we can continue to aspire to greater heights personally,” she says. And her client agrees: “Michelle peered into my soul and created a design [that] represents who I really am and who I want to be.”
Article can be found at http://article.homebydesign.com/pages/article/HBD_AUG_13_05/54411/index.html
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