S.F. Fall Art & Antiques Show welcomes with a vignette by Catherine Kwong.
When guests at the 2016 San Francisco Fall Art & Antiques Show set foot in the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason, they’ll be transported to another world — or, rather, four other worlds.
The entrance will be appointed with a quartet of vignettes by notable San Francisco interior designers, all exploring the theme for the 35th edition of the annual event: Animalia. (While art has always been a big part of it, this year’s show — which runs Thursday, Oct. 27, through Sunday, Oct. 30 — marks the first time that the word “art” has been integrated into the name.)
Ann Getty & Associates’ vignette will evoke India, with elephants prominently featured. Jonathan Rachman Design is composing a setting that draws on his native Indonesia and entails loro blonyo (or “inseparable couple”) monkeys. Twenty-two endangered species will populate Antonio Martins Interior Design’s concept that takes its cues from the Amazon forest. And Catherine Kwong Design is turning its attention to Europe, with birds adorning the firm’s salon de thé.
Each vignette will encompass a platform measuring about 8-by-15 feet, with 11-foothigh walls lined in custom, hand-painted wall coverings by de Gournay. “I’m a longtime de Gournay devotee,” says Kwong, who adds that collaborating with the London company was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
“We were thinking of a way to create a European look and feel, and tried to imagine what type of room would have these beautiful hand-painted panels,” Kwong continues. “A tea salon seemed like an appropriate way to create that mood.”
Her aesthetic inspiration came from the runways. “Alberta Ferretti is my latest obsession,” she enthuses. “I love the line’s sense of modern romance.” Ferretti’s Fall 2016 RTW collection showed dresses embroidered with flowers and birds, which are echoed in the pale-gray silk wall covering that de Gournay devised for Kwong.
“The level of intricacy and detail is incredible: Each bird, each tree, is hand-painted with care, layer upon layer of individual feathers and leaves,” says
Kwong, whose salon will also be outfitted with custom drapery by Malatesta & Co., made of a sienna-hued wool fabric from Holland & Sherry and a grosgrain trim from the Ribbonerie. The oak tea counter, topped with marble and accented with metal details, is bespoke as well.
Kwong is bringing in vintage touches, too: Hans Agne Jakobsson copper pendant lights from Almond & Co., and sculptural midcentury lounge chairs from Battersea. And the tea cups gracing the counter include a set that Kwong received
as a wedding gift.
“I’m hoping that our vignette will be an example of how to incorporate antiques into a modern-day setting,” she says. “Even though we were inspired by traditional European tea salons, we tried to maintain a balance of clean lines against the flowery backdrop. I love incorporating antiques and mixing vintage pieces into my more modern interiors.”