05 February 2011

How The Men Do Antiques: Coup d'État


If revolution is in the air, then ground zero for establishing a new order in the world of antiques and interior design is surely Coup d'État * in San Francisco. This cutting edge point of view is expressed in overscale, unlikely pieces recouped from the industrial salvage yard, given a bit of polish (maybe) and a functional lift, then placed in spaces alongside interpretations of the classical and the modern.

Visiting the Potrero Hill showroom is a bit like entering the collective movie sets of Eyes Wide Shut, all the Harry Potters, Around the World in Eighty Days, Clan of the Cave Bear, and Alice in Wonderland. You will not see the gentility of Scalamandré and deGournay fabrics and wallpapers here, not even a whiff of Minimalism, Queen Ann, French Country, nor the whites and greiges of Gustavian chic. There is nothing delicate or spare in this repertoire. There is a lot of muscle in this Industrial Antique Recoup look.

Yet the genius of this showroom are incredibly intimate settings that invite touch and lingering. I think there is a lesson here for us designers to carefully and deliberately use texture, symmetry, lighting and comfort to invite people to draw in close to each other, to gather around face to face. It's a big scary world out there! Let's cozy up together.


such talent and vision to create an Art Deco setting
from rusting industrial salvage!


a surprising and stunningly feminime
lacy Venetian mirror is found in one corner


Beowulf meets Industrial Art Deco


could you cozy up to this sculpture
in your living room :)


the San Francisco shipyard is the source for
this dining table with nailhead detailing


no simple antelope antlers adorn this wall... half of
the animal is literally leaping into your room


and yet, the huge scale of the potted ponderosa pine creates
a desire to group together beneath its boughs and gather
around the antique kilim stools and the red wine velvet linen sofa



the perennially beloved sphere above the
jewelmakers' table cut into amoeba-like shape,
surrounded by reinterpreted klismos and wing chairs


a nod to the prosaic: green and blue pottery ware... but
displayed on a grand scale


no ordinary wing chairs, these could have seated
Captain Nemo on his day off



Darin Geise, owner
111 Rhode Island Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-241-9300


* A coup d'état (English: /ˌkuːdeɪˈtɑː/, French: [ku deta]; plural: coups d'état)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow




14 comments:

  1. Well I wasn't sure what I would think of these design concepts at first. But, I really like how they all came together. The red wine velvet couch caught my eye! How fun to see something off beat and out of the ordinary, smordinary! Thanks...

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  2. Hi Snippets...yes this showroom is definitely different with a capital "D"! very creative and rich with details, I could spend hours there..thanks for stopping by!

    Kit

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  3. What an interesting treasure trove of unusual and fun artifacts!!!Love the creativity in all of these images esp the last two.Thanks! Maryanne:)

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  4. Wow - what a fabulous unique showroom!! Love the pieces and how they all work together - great find!!

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  5. Love the deco look (first pic). I don't think the salvage vibe would be at all out of place in a provencal farmhouse...

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  6. Oh my goodness, I'm in love with this place. What a wonderful find, Kit. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a space this huge for all antique stores. And, the full-sized man sculpture, definitely, he would fit into my living room with the 35' ceilings. Love love love

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  7. One strong statement after another! And that pottery...a little oasis of 'cool'.

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  8. Those pieces look fantastic and unusual. What a great find...shame I live too far away to visit. Have a lovely week, Love from London xo

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  9. BONJOUR,
    très belle promenade:
    PLAISIR
    BONHEUR
    JOIE

    Bien amicalement
    Lisou,
    Kiss from my Provence in France

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  10. nice blog ,,this is my first time i visit your site...hope i'll learn much about information on your site..regards

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  11. what wonderfull placements of beauful funtiture

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  12. The setting in the first picture is very beautiful. I really want to have such design in my place. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. people in architecture or art decoration major may learn many good things in this post. I really impressed with structures, texture, organizing colors and the combination between old furniture with modern one.All of these make decorations special and impressive to visitors.Thanks

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  14. Après avoir suspendu son activité pendant de longs mois, le laboratoire va pouvoir enfin reprendre ses publications sur son site officiel.

    ReplyDelete

I would love to hear what you think! merci!

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