Dynamic Duo ~ Baker and McGuire

SPECTACULAR NEW SHOWROOMS GIVE SISTER BRANDS BAKER AND MCGUIRE EACH THE SPACE TO SHINE

At the shared entrance of a new 16,500-square-foot space, an Italian-marble foyer leads left to McGuire and right to Baker, each direction reflecting the distinct sensibility of the two iconic furniture houses. Baker’s more formal aesthetic unfolds in urbane black and gray—Nightshade is its signature custom Farrow & Ball hue—while McGuire exudes laid-back luxury with a coastal California vibe. San Francisco is the flagship for the new global concept, which will be gradually introduced in other showrooms in New York, Atlanta, and beyond.
San Francisco furniture house McGuire, founded in 1948 by John and Elinor McGuire, has a signature material palette of natural elements like rattan and caning, and the new space features timber beams and oak floors. Its open layout maximizes sunlight, with ivory walls and light-hued woods—including feature walls composed of maple slats—reflecting the brand’s elegantly comfortable sensibility. In spring 2019, building on a history of collaborations with A-list California practices like Steven Volpe and Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, and lauded modernist architecture and interiors firm Marmol Radziner, McGuire debuts its inaugural line with San Francisco interior designer Nicole Hollis.
Dating to the late 19th century, Baker is known for a more classic aesthetic, reflected in the showroom entryway’s velvet wall panels, which set the tone, along with crisp wainscoting and moldings. Last year, Baker introduced a range of chairs, sofas, and side tables by the iconic midcentury designer Edward Wormley (produced by Dunbar); this year, a highly anticipated second collection, by celebrated Parisian designer Jean-Louis Deniot, will debut. A section of the showroom is also devoted to Milling Road, a division of Baker that, notes Jamie Martin, Baker’s San Francisco showroom manager, “allows us to be of-the-moment and on-trend while still retaining that classicism.”
A textile gallery serves as a transitional area between the brands and as a work space, while an adjacent kitchen with large tables invites designers to make themselves at home. As Martin notes, the new showroom was created with them in mind—their approach to mixing styles in a project or sourcing for a client with multiple homes in settings from city to coast. “The joy and excitement on designers’ faces when they interact with the pieces—ultimately, that’s what we’re looking for.”

The Sodalite table lamp
by Deniot for Baker. The sleek Baker Archetype Wood Banded sofa.