Housed in its first Victorian residence, the 47th edition includes reimagined rooms designed by 17 Bay Area firms
Words by CATHERINE BIGELOW
Interior and exterior photography by MICHAEL P. H. CLIFFORD
Event photography by DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY
Has the era of the ubiquitous “great room” design concept finally reached its nadir, only to be replaced by a pickleball pavilion? Not quite. The 2026 San Francisco Designer Showcase’s salon-style spaces are currently enchanting visitors at a historic Queen Anne–style Victorian located in Pacific Heights.
Now in its 47th edition, this iconic design display, which runs through May 25, is a University High School fundraiser. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $21 million for student financial aid. Housed in its first Victorian residence, the almost 10,000-square foot, three-story plan (which, sans elevator, will induce heart-pumping step counts) stars 30 spatial updos by 17 leading Bay Area design and and landscape firms, including Aubrey Maxwell, Chantal Lamberto, Alexander Nikban, Sonoma Interiors, Studio Green, Martinelli Design, and a mother-daughter design firm, Jeanne Renee.
Built in 1897 by architect Moses J. Lyon, this storied home was later owned and meticulously preserved by another architect, Herbert McLaughlin, a leading proponent of architectural adaptive reuse. And all this can be yours for just $25 million!
The almost 10,000-square foot, three-story plan (which, sans elevator, will induce heart-pumping step counts) stars 30 spatial updos.
The towering beauty, crowned by a turret reimagined by Maker & Moss into the “Writer’s Nook,” is framed throughout with picture windows, affording sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay. While much of the original dark wood paneling was replaced, this showcase lovingly preserves the home’s architectural bones and many original details, providing an extraordinary canvas for the designers’ creative interpretations.
“We are incredibly excited about the 2026 Showcase class, which represents both established voices and newer talent, each bringing a distinct point of view to the home’s next chapter,” says Stephanie Yee, executive director of San Francisco Decorator Showcase. “We’re grateful to these designers for lending their talent and time in support of a mission that expands access to education for so many deserving students.”
The 2026 Showcase also features new programming and experiential events in the home, ranging from Friday Happy Hours and weekly design discussions (starring architect Mark Cavagnero, and gallerists Ali Gass and Jessica Silverman) to culinary adventures curated by chefs Dominique Crenn and Michael Mina, as well as a trunk show hosted by jewelry designer Lauren Harwell Godfrey.
And all general-admission ticket holders are invited to a special shopping opportunity among luxury pieces from Levi’s Japanese-inspired, Blue Tab selvedge denim collection. Hosted in a jewel-box dressing suite by Fernando Castellanos, who also created the ethereal primary bedroom, the designer is dressed head to toe for the duration of showcase in couture Levi’s ensembles.
“I had the whole experience at Levi’s headquarters, where they fitted me and worked with a seamstress. All the pieces feel very nice, and I get to keep them,” he says. “Much of the dressing room decor was created by Bay Area artists, and then Levi’s came through, a beloved fashion staple and San Francisco heritage brand.”
Other standout spaces include “Double Standard” by Jeffrey Neve, whose textural layers sumptuously redefine what a “kids’ room” can mean. Tineke Triggs orchestrated whimsical renditions of the kitchen (now “The Bakehouse”) and family room (“The Pheasantry”), evoking well-stocked pantries and lush post-hunt comfort found amid country estates of the British landed gentry. A colorful mah-jongg set is center stage in the joyfully vibrant “Well Played” game room by Aly Gay Designs. And India-born designer Sindhu Peruri channels her East-West heritage (via hand-painted frescoes adorned with tile mirror mosaics) in the elegant living room (“Ishara”), enveloped in a dreamy Wedgewood blue.
Built into a hillside with steep access, this year’s showcase was a technically complex load-in. Much of that heavy lift rests upon the shoulders of AD Pro designer Kendall Wilkinson, who created “L’Arrivée,” the sophisticated entry foyer that will welcome an estimated 20,000 design fans.
A soft blue-green hue, echoing the city’s shape-shifting fog, sets the scene of this Parisian-inspired atelier space, accented by original Tiffany-style stained glass windows and Wilkinson’s new lighting line.
“Previously the home was dark and inward focused. But our designers — in support of a great cause for students — have infused the home with a lighter and more cohesive vibe, even eschewing window treatments in favor of bay views,” Wilkinson says. “Yet we strived to honor the home’s Victorian spirit, a classic San Francisco architectural tradition.” San Francisco Decorator Showcase, 2315 Broadway, S.F.
Feature image: The living room by Sindhu Peruri. PHOTO: Michael P. H. Clifford.
May 19, 2026.
Discover more DESIGN news.
