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.
