Spring Home DesignBay Area experts show how to

get the look of big-budget decor — at reasonable prices

Pacific Heightsliving room bySuzanne TuckerTucker and Marks Design, tuckerandmarks.comSuzanne Tucker designed the capaciousliving room of the 2007 Decorator ShowcaseHouse — an Italian Renaissance-style mansein Pacific Heights — with fictitious clients inmind: a successful couple with a stockpile offurnishings both inherited (see the 1730s lac-quered secretaire) and collected (an eccentric opiumbed-turned coffee table). Despite their traditional bent, the cou-ple are hardly conventional. “She listens to Cole Porter, and he’s acloset rock star,” says Tucker. “And after a party, when the fire islow and the music is right, they like to dance in the dark.”

GET THE LOOKThe generous scale and“va-va-voom” (Tucker’swords) faux-zebra uphol-stery of Oly Studio’s So-phie Lounge Chairs makethem chic substitutes fortheir priceless Georgiancounterparts, loaned to thedesigner by the late SanFrancisco socialite Dodie Rosecrans for exclusive usein the showcase-housetableau. $3,200; olystudio.com.

Though Tucker loves the visual strength — “thegrounding,” as she calls it — of the legs on theoriginal coffee table, a transformed antique opiumbed, the stocky profile of the Elmwood MingChow-leg table from China Furniture stands anddelivers. $789; chinafurnitureonline.com.

“The tribal graphics of Moroccan rugs pair well withcontemporary or traditional designs,” says Tucker.This Beni Ourain shag has a simple harlequin pat-tern, a 1960s vibe and a sticker price that’s one-tenth the cost of the rug in the showcase room.$3,500; themoroccanroom.com.

While Tuckerused pricey hornsconces in theoriginal room asadventurouscounterpointsto the tradi-tional architec-tural moldings, sheloves this sleek (andPETA friendly) takeon the look: a white-resin fixture fromMecox Gardens.$495; mecoxgardens.com.

Compared with theshowcase room’s$780,000 Italian Rococosecretaire, delicately limnedwith exotic chinoiseriescenes, this worthy sub-stitute, an ornate black-andgold secretary from Dec-orative Crafts, is practicallyhighway robbery. $7,000;decorativecrafts.com.

C LO C K W I S E F R O M TO P : O LY; C H I N AF U R N I T U R E ; M O R O C C A N R O O M ; M E C OXG A R D E N S ; M I C H A E L TAY LO R D E S I G N S ;M AT T H E W M I L L M A N ; I L L U ST R AT I O N B Y VA L B . M I N A / T H E C H R O N I C L E

Luxury styleat low-end cost

4 San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, February 5, 2012 February 5, 2012, San Francisco Chronicle Magazine 5

By Leilani Marie Labong

Call it design for the 1 percenters. Real-ity shows like Bravo’s “Million DollarDecorators” and HGTV’s “SellingNew York” brave the nation’s testy

economic climate by glorifying the lifestyles ofthe rich and famous. We’re prescribing a re-freshing antidote to all the blue-chip hoopla:We asked local interior designers and veteransof big-budget decor, Suzanne Tucker, MarthaAngus and Antonio Martins, to put a down-to-earth spin on their most well-to-do projects. Asshrewd bargain hunters with a keen curatorialexpertise, they scoured local boutiques and na-tional furniture e-tailers in the name of highstyle at reasonable prices — 99 percent satis-faction guaranteed.

Martha Angus’Nob Hill living roomMartha Angus Inc., marthaangus.comOriginally hung in her son’s nursery, a valuable RoyLichtenstein lithograph “Bedroom” (1991) was the moti-vation behind the witty living room design in MarthaAngus’ former Nob Hill condo. “The room wasn’t large,so I wanted it to be light and airy and lots of fun,” saysAngus. Playing off the bold canvas, she commissioned aspunky striped-and-dotted rug from Vorwerk in Ger-many. Mirrored walls expand the space, catching viewsof the Golden Gate Bridge, and reflective coffee tablescast the room’s trademark graphics onto other dimen-sions. Despite its pop-art flair, the decor is steeped inantiquity: a Gustavian clock and settee have roots inearly 19th century Sweden.

GET THE LOOK

“The Stripes” painting by Eche Martinez($2,500; gilt.com/home) was inspired by thework of late American Abstract artist AgnesMartin. While its colors are echoed in Jona-than Adler’s Lollipop rug ($695; jonathanadler.com), its straight edges offset the daringglobules adorning the hand-loomed floorcovering. A kind of happy tension ensues. “Idon’t like weak spaces,” says Angus. “I like todecorate with pieces that have spirit andstrength.” The designer unearthed the 1970s mirrored coffee tables in her old living room at a Paris

flea market. For the updated look, she took a shine to these stainless-steel Hex Tablesby New York-based Incorporated both for their David Hicks-inspired geometry andtheir modular potential. “Ganged together, they make a bold statement; individually,they make chic side tables or TV-dinner trays,” says Angus. $1,090-$1,240; propellermodern.com.

Angus willingly admits that the down-filled Templeton Apartmentsofa by Jonathan Adler is more comfortable than her prim Swed-ish settee, which is valued at more than $25,000. The Templeton’sLouis XVI-inspired base embodies the original’s antique cachet.$3,395; jonathanadler.com.

O P P O S I T E PA G E : P H OTO B Y P E T E R M E D I L E K I N C . ; I L L U ST R AT I O N B Y VA L B . M I N A / T H E C H R O N I C L E . T H I SPA G E , C LO C K W I S E F R O M TO P : E C H E M A R T I N E Z ; I N C O R P O R AT E D ; J O N AT H A N A D L E R ; J O N AT H A N A D L E R .

EB/NB

February 5, 2012, San Francisco Chronicle Magazine 7

Nob Hill family room byAntonio Martins Antonio Martins Interior Design, antoniomartins.comCrowning a historic four-story 1913Beaux Arts-style residence in NobHill, this family room — a 1960saddition originally outfitted withrustic trappings normally associatedwith log cabins — was recently renovated by Antonio Mar-tins to reflect the neoclassical design of the original archi-tecture. “We wanted to make this floor feel as elegant asthe rest of the house,” says Martins. From handsome hand-carved moldings (faithfully reproduced, inch by inch, fromthe grand rooms on the lower floors) to opulent upholsterywork (“Like an haute couture dress, furniture also requiresmultiple fittings,” explains Martin), the revamped space isnow a cozy retreat of aristocratic proportions.

“The arm chair is the most impor-tant piece of this puzzle,” saysMartins. “It unites the space.” Theoriginal, a French antique coveredin a courageous suzani print (ifyou’re game, the designer revealsthat remnants can be found oneBay for a steal), is affordablyreimagined here with the Chantelchair from Ethan Allen, embel-lished with a striking motif. $799;ethanallen.com.

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GET THE LOOKWhile leather is certainlyhandsome and durable, forthe money, tightly wovenarmy-duck fabric is a hand-some alternative. ThisRestoration Hardware tufted bench, seen here in cafe-coloredcanvas, should do the trick. $640; restorationhardware.com.

In the original room, thewall-mounted readinglamps by Phoenix Day aren’tspace invaders, they’respace savers. This whiteswing-arm lamp by LampsPlus is equally lovely, at afraction of the cost. “Trycapping it with a red shade,”says Martins. “It will bringwarmth and color to theroom.” $90; lampsplus.com.

8 San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, February 5, 2012

To enliven this classic vintage-velvet English Roll-Arm sofa, alsoby Restoration Hardware, Martins suggests a little pillow talk. “Tosson a few colorful cushions or a beautiful ethnic throw to dress it up,”says the designer. $2,655, restorationhardware.com.