The ‘Tilly’ design from Suzane Tucker Home’s Fall 2024 textile collection draws inspiration from the botanical world. Provided by Suzanne Tucker Home.
Interior designer Suzanne Tucker is the co-founder of the San Francisco firm Tucker & Marks. Although her work can be seen throughout the Bay Area, including in homes along the Midpeninsula, Tucker’s influence in the design world extends far beyond the region.
She has been recognized multiple times by Architectural Digest magazine as one of the world’s top 100 designers and has received numerous awards, including the 2023 Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York School of Interior Design. She has published several books and has branched out into home furnishings and other products, from shoes to tableware to textiles (including a line she just launched in Fall 2024).
In a recent Q&A with this publication, Tucker spoke about her love of textiles and antiques, memorable requests from clients, her work in Palo Alto, and what she thinks are the keys to a successful design project. shared some insights.
Q: What is the most important factor you keep in mind when working on a design project?Suzanne Tucker is an award-winning interior designer. Provided by Suzanne Tucker Home.
A: The most important factors in any design project, other than the client’s personal preference, are scale and proportion. If the scale or proportions are wrong, your room or home can look completely different. Scale has to do with size and balance, and the ability to manipulate both is essential to achieving beauty and comfort in your room, home, or garden. Unlike color and style, scale and proportion are not subject to personal preference. Experimentation and experience are your best resources, and you need to develop your eye. When the works in a room are scaled just right and work within architectural proportions, the room sings and being in it is blissful. The achieved harmony is reflected in every style and every taste: casual or formal, modern or traditional, French, Italian, Japanese, English.
Q: How does a home’s architectural style influence your design work? You worked on a custom Spanish Revival style home in Palo Alto’s Crescent Park neighborhood, currently on the market for $15.9 million. Could you tell me about your memories of that time? We hear they incorporated reclaimed ceiling beams, handcrafted tiles, and wrought iron joinery to give the home an authentic look and feel.
A: Architectural style has an absolute influence on my work, and one cannot be separated from the other. After studying interior architecture, he considered going to architecture school, but the “real world” beckoned. What a privilege to work with some of today’s most talented architects, including Skullman Architects in San Francisco, Appleton Partners, Ferguson & Shamamian in Santa Barbara, and Gil Schaefer of Schaefer Buccellato Architects in New York. You’ll be lucky.
Touring San Francisco Fall Shows with Suzanne Tucker
Award-winning interior designer and event chairman Suzanne Tucker will take you on a special one-hour field trip to the 42nd Annual San Francisco Fall Show, scheduled for 10-11 a.m. Featuring antiques, art, and her personal favorites. The international art, antiques and design trade show features more than 40 dealers and is reportedly the longest-running event of its kind on the West Coast. The show will be held at Fort Mason from October 17th to 20th.
Working with architect John Northway of the Palo Alto firm Stoecker & Northway, this project in Palo Alto was fun to design. It was all about creating a high-performance complex for a young family while respecting the architectural style of the neighborhood and working within its limits. Room for all the kids, family, living room open to the elements, light for every occasion, spacious lawn with cabana, pizza oven, and pool party planning all part of a dream plan. It was a club.
Q: What are the most common design requests from clients?
A: Plenty of closet space and a private bathroom are on everyone’s list. Functional kitchens are preferred over giant kitchens, spa environments are increasingly desired, garages with plenty of storage are sought after… and separate dining rooms are making a comeback.
Q: Are there any unusual projects or requests that stick out in your memory?
A: I designed special custom rooms and projects myself. We recently converted a dilapidated carriage house behind a mansion in San Francisco into a Parisian garden pavilion. This is the perfect place for your morning coffee, midday lunch, or cocktail hour drinks (and maybe your first kiss). On a smaller scale, design a fire pole that runs from the upstairs party room into the kitchen, and design hidden drawer steps in the pet pantry so older cats can reach food on the counter and avoid bothering larger cats. I did. A dog friend with legs. Almost every request was accommodated except for stripper poles and urinals in each bathhouse.
One of Tucker’s interior designs is featured on the cover of her 2022 book Extraordinary Interiors. Courtesy of Suzanne Tucker Home.Q: Can you tell us a little about your product line, including your textile line? What do you think are your signature style elements?
A: I have always loved textiles. I studied antique pieces in college, always try to use them in my projects, and have been collecting them for years. My passion for textiles is constantly fed by my world travels (next year to Sweden and India). Building a textile line has been a long-held dream, but it was also a clear boost to the growth of my design practice. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to not only the beauty of the design, but also the quality of the fabric. I work with factories around the world to provide the best quality and craftsmanship possible, and I am particularly drawn to fabrics that are truly handcrafted. We also pay close attention to the finishing process in order to enhance the overall texture, suppleness, and feel of the textile (the way it feels when you touch it), which we feel is a very important yet often overlooked process. Masu.
Q: What advice would you give to someone looking for an easy way to add a little style or revitalization to their home design?
A: Go for something unique! Every room needs something old, but you don’t want it to be. Whether it’s a charming vintage item or a precious antique, its charm lies in its patina, which can only be acquired over time, and its imperfections reveal character and a life lived. It instantly adds personality to a room, activating our emotions and memories in a way that more recently made furniture cannot. So here’s a shameless plug for you. Come join us at the 2024 San Francisco Fall Show from October 17th to 20th at the Festival Pavilion in Fort Mason (I have been the show host for the past 10 years).
For anyone interested in art and design, furniture, and decorative arts – whether you’re buying, collecting, or just learning about art and antiques – this show is not to be missed. Four wonderfully lively days full of great dealers, engaging lectures and gobs are on offer. A feast for the eyes.
For more information, visit suzannetuckerhome.com.
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