An Eden for the gardener

Designer turns neglected space into a potting shed worthy of a showcase

It was a potting shed that even those with a black thumb could appreciate and covet. As part of this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase, Randy McDannell tackled a space beneath the home — specifically, under the family room, with direct access to the garden — that had been neglected for decades.

McDannell divided the shed into two zones. There was an area for getting your hands dirty and potting, which was anchored by a circa-1970s Michael Taylor table with a tree-trunk base and fossil-stone top. And McDannell reimagined the adjacent room as a relaxing retreat outfitted with comfortable seating and even a bar cart (for when a break from planting is in order). Nature-inspired photography and paintings, as well as vintage pottery, helped achieve his goal of “marrying objects of utility with objects of art.”

After studying architecture and design at Syracuse University in New York, McDannell spent 10 years working at Ralph Lauren Home and later opened his own home furnishings shop in Manhattan. In 2001, he decamped to San Francisco.

His new locale’s temperate weather led to his second act: McDannell started designing “outdoor rooms” for clients. Today, nine years after establishing his eponymous firm, R.S. McDannell (www.rsmcdannell. com), he specializes in landscape and exterior design. “It’s added real estate,” he says of his alfresco endeavors.

These days, McDannell is also busy preparing to launch an online shop that stocks products relating to home decor, gardening and outdoor pursuits. Nature, Detailed will open for business in the coming months. “We were getting all of these things for our clients and thought, ‘Why not make it available to everyone?’ ” he says.