GEOFFREY DE SOUSA INTERIOR DESIGN

  • Clarendon Heights Residence: Transformation

    The year the Golden Gate Bridge rose up over San Francisco, a little brick house was built on Clarendon Heights. While the two structures still look upon each other, one has undergone a dramatic transformation. Geoffrey De Sousa thoughtfully re-envisioned and rebuilt the dated, 2,000 square foot Monterey-style home, transforming it into a 4,300 square foot modern aerie with crisp architectural lines and stunning views. De Sousa opened up the main floor’s warren of small rooms into a gallery-like foyer and stairway, dining room, living room and kitchen. The upper floor now houses chic master and guest suites, and the ground floor features a media room, second guest suite and exercise room. Throughout the home, rich walnut floors and accent walls, stone and stacked slate add wonderful texture. And set against colorways of urbane greys and browns, pops of rust and russet say, despite its refined renovation, the house is still connected to its old friend International Orange.

  • Millenium Tower Residence: Elevation

    From the vantage point of a 54th-floor bedroom in San Francisco's glittering new Millennium Tower, the sun rises in Turner-esque colors. The transcendent view inspired De Sousa to design a haven to showcase it. He began by enveloping the master bedroom in quiet shades of lavender, celadon, cream and grey. Into this serene setting he placed bold, sculptural furnishings including a linen Victoria Hagan wing chair and a curvy Gio Ponti inspired desk. All eyes are directed to the panoramic views by grasscloth wallpaper that De Sousa hung horizontally to emphasize the skyline. Elevated living, indeed.

  • Pacific Heights Residence: Illumination

    In Hindu myth, seven horses draw the chariot of the god of the sun. In creating this warm and radiant space, De Sousa may have captured a ray or two. The artwork Seven Horses by Jean de Merry anchors the ballroom of this Beaux Arts mansion in Pacific Heights. The grand scale of both the piece and the property inspired De Sousa’s vision for the 19th century room: "The large space allowed us to play with deep, rich colors, giving it a much more intimate feel." De Sousa established the atmosphere by upholstering the walls in navy blue silk and encouraged conversation by creating three distinct gathering areas. The radiant gold, copper and earth tones of Seven Horses were translated into antique and vintage furnishings including two Jean Michel-Frank inspired sofas: one in a cool slate-blue mohair with silk welting, one in a rust suede. The coup de grâce, however, is a pair of 60” celestial bronze chandeliers that De Sousa customized from a design by de Merry. Their constellated light, falling on sensuous colors and materials, gives the room an inner glow.

  • Piedmont Residence: Provenance

    Despite its blue-blood heritage – architecture by William Wurster and gardens by landscape designer Thomas Church - the romance of this 1930s Monterey Colonial had faded by the time it was purchased by the current owner. Luckily, the original owners produced a patinated photo book of the house in its prime, and a revival was soon underway. “We really strove to honor the home,” says De Sousa, “and we wanted to pay tribute to each decade of its life.” De Sousa brought back the glamour starting in the entry hall, where the walls are hung with chocolate brown grasscloth and the ceiling tea-stained in a silver metallic. The sophisticated dining room showcases a sleek dining table, mid-century inspired dining chairs and a 1940’s Murano glass chandelier. Throughout the home are vintage pieces that speak to each decade of its history, including a 1930s Jean Royère chest with gilt-bronze hinges, a mirrored 1940s table and a 1950s orange lacquer-and-brass Tommi Parzinger side board. Now returned to its original grandeur, this respectfully redesigned home has reclaimed its proper status on Millionaire’s Row.

  • Presidio Heights Residence: Timelessness

    If ever a room defined classic San Francisco style, it might just be this impeccable Pacific Heights parlor. Mahogany-paneled and featuring bespoke upholstery by George Smith of London, it practically cries out for a single malt. “It was such an incredibly inspiring space to work with,” says De Sousa of the 1913 English Tudor by architect Houghton Sawyer. “The original interior architecture, the walnut herringbone floors, I mean, come on!” Bringing his curator’s approach to the room, De Sousa designed three vignettes: in the center of the room, a photograph by Richard Misrach hangs above the mohair George Smith sofa, which is bookended by a pair of 1950s Fantoni crackle-glazed lamps on Dunbar end tables. At the front of the room, Walking Manzanita by Welsh sculptor David Nash anchors a sitting area, where the generous light of the bay windows is softened by rust-colored scrim edge-banded in silk. Above the fireplace is a Michael Wolf photo from the artist’s Architecture of Density series, and standing behind the cowhide chair is a walnut-and-bronze floor lamp by San Francisco artist Michael McEwen. Timeless and refined, the room feels just right for this generation – and the next.

  • SF Decorator Showcase: Pavonia Room

    “The Pavonia Room” takes its inspiration from the Legion of Honor exhibition The Cult of Beauty and the Aesthetic movement it chronicles, while bringing that sensibility into the 21st century. The color palette-- coppery oranges and blues--is drawn from the iconic Lord Leighton portrait, Pavonia. With its poetic vaults and intimate scale, the architecture of the room evokes the sensibility of the era. In an edgier take on Aesthetic, the room is wrapped in a burnt orange, hand-printed botanical print by iconoclastic Glasgow design house Timorous Beasties, whose wallpapers are affectionately referred to as “William Morris on acid.” A spectacular, custom, hand-blown glass chandelier by artist John Pomp casts a glow on the space. Pomp, schooled in the Venetian art of glassblowing in Murano, Italy, crafted a celestial chandelier composed of three spheres etched with gold leaf. The centerpiece of the room is The Popova Desk by Sylvan Fiss. Inspired by the facets and unique geometric makeup of a gemstone, this limited edition piece is made of mahogany and brass. A provocative photograph by Katy Grannan from Fraenkel Gallery anchors the space. To quote The Cult of Beauty exhibition catalogue, “The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty are the only hours we live.”

  • Broadway Residence: Lantern House

    Named for the roof projection that bathes all three stories in light, Lantern House is only the second Robert A.M. Stern residence to be built in San Francisco. In collaboration with Agnes Bourne, De Sousa designed the interiors of this spectacular home in the spirit of the architect’s modern traditionalism. Antique furnishings and carpets from Ed Hardy and Peter Papp are integrated with the clients’ pieces throughout the home. The cream color of the glorious main hall was selelcted to showcase the client’s collections, which included California plein air paintings and 18th- and 19th- century globes.