Janet Butler
If you love the combination of Eastern influence and argyle carpeting on your stairs, you’ll love this Pacific Heights residence, as decorated by Dara Rosenfeld Design. The designer calls it a juxtaposition of “tradition and whimsy against a backdrop of chic Hermes-inspired orange-and-grey colorways.” The orange and grey? On those “argyle” stairs — and as solid colors on walls of sitting rooms and stairwell hallways, as well as on woodwork in the master bath. There, grey comes in different gradations as well: a steely grey on door lintels and surrounding the soaking tub beneath the bay window, with a subtler hue traced through mosaic-tiled floors. A warm orange throw graces a master bedroom chair, in serene harmony with the terra-cotta tones in both window coverings and a print duvet.
The Eastern influence? It’s there with a touch of humor, in the Oriental “ladies” (with monkey faces). It’s also present in embroidered hangings above a bed and in art on the walls of a pumpkin-colored sitting room. Orange and grey highlight upholstered chairs fronting the fireplace, a houndstooth print on couch pillows, and delicately fringed window shades — played against a straight-grey fireplace surround and pale grey carpet. In another sitting room, casual contemporary orange chairs boast grey throws and vivid print pillows that make an unusual color combination actually restful. It’s an unusual pairing, and not the first one you’d think would look so well-matched together, but it works to splendid effect when serving as a backdrop for an eclectic mix of family antiques and modern art in this Pacific Heights home.
