It’s always a joy and a privilege to work with Robbie McMillan and Marcus Keller of San Francisco interior design firm and art advisory, AubreyMaxwell, who are unfailingly kind, thoughtful, and generous of spirit, as well as enormously talented. Here they chronicle their journey to Showcase 2024, from designer tour to installation day. They share their process of selecting a room, applying, designing custom pieces and installation, with all the nimble adaptations and pivots required along the way. Robbie and Marcus view interiors through the lens of art, so there is always thoughtful dialogue between the two disciplines.
This room also attends to all the senses – from their attention to a delicate sound of the shade to the warmth of sun on bedcover. Featuring art inspired by Caspar David Friedrich, verdant wallcovering, and poetic light, this room is truly one for new Romantics.
(L to R) Cofounders Marcus Keller and Robbie McMillan and Senior Designer Caleb Morris.
Deciding to pitch, selecting a room, concept board & submission
12.15.2023
Today was our first tour of this giant old mansion on Broadway and Baker. We always go in to Showcase with an open mind, not knowing if we will actually apply to design a space. You gotta feel it out to know. But having been a part of the previous two decorator showcase homes, we couldn’t help but feel excited to investigate the possibilities. We were immediately drawn in by the entry into the large living room, with its truly incredible views of the Bay and the bridge.
There are so many nooks and crannies and special spaces in a home like this, so we hit every one, waiting to be inspired. When we reached the very top floor, we responded immediately to two small rooms at the front of the home. The beautifully shaped windows and almost attic-like feel of the rooms really drew us in, and we knew this was the spot.
Keller and McMillan’s original concept boards submitted to Showcase Design Review.
We set out to propose a guest bedroom and adjoining sitting room for our showcase presentation. With only one week to assemble our proposals, we went to work designing, sourcing and reaching out to vendor partners, artists and makers. And all of this during the week before Christmas! As we began to conceptualize the design, we all gravitated toward an ARTE wallpaper on our boards. The weathered green floral motif on a textural linen-like ground just felt right for this home. It would be the spark to set the rest of the design in motion.
Scouting art, sourcing final design elements, and landing on another custom design opportunity
Mid-January through February 2024
One of our key design strategies coming into showcase this year was to choose a space that required very little renovation. Our bedroom allowed us to hit the ground running pretty quickly after some minor demolition of old built-ins and drapes, as well as the old carpet. A neighboring designer down the hall was working with Amber Flooring out of Oakland to replace their carpet with wood flooring for a screaming deal, so we connected with them as well and landed on a European Oak 5” plank flooring. Other vendors had already approached us, but we took the offer that provided the best design with the biggest discount. A showcase budget can quickly balloon if you’re not careful.
The installers of that old built-in shelving / daybed unfortunately cut away portions of the original picture rail and baseboard trim to make way for their structure. We’ll have to replace all of the picture rail with a new profile because the old rail style would have to be custom milled. That’s both cost and time prohibitive. For the baseboards, we’ll patch the missing pieces in the bedroom by stealing the same old baseboard profile from the closet, and then install a whole new, complimentary baseboard profile in the closet.
We’ve decided to create a bespoke stereo cabinet. The design has been finely detailed, and we’re passing it off to Sebastian Parker in San Francisco to source the wood and start the building process. On a trip to Da Vinci Marble, we landed the most exquisite piece of Cippolino Verde Marble with a honed finish. The spectacular swirling motion in this stone will partner nicely with the rich Claro walnut of the stereo cabinet frame. All other materials and electronics for the cabinet are now in hand, including the retro VOX fabric that will cover our speaker compartments.
“On a trip to Da Vinci Marble, we landed the most exquisite piece of Cippolino Verde Marble with a honed finish. The spectacular swirling motion in this stone will partner nicely with the rich Claro walnut of the stereo cabinet frame.”
Ever since we had a studio visit with Rafi Ajl at The Long Confidence in Berkeley, we’ve wanted to find a way to work together, so we approach Rafi with designs for a pair of pedestaled bedside tables. We agree on reclaimed Elm as the primary material and give Rafi license to make artful interventions to the surface of both pieces along the way. We like to work with artists / craftspeople in a collaborative way that keeps the design somewhat malleable throughout the process.
Clockwise L to R: Material swatches and a detail of the Gemma table lamp by InCommonWith. A gorgeous Cippolino Verde Marble slab at Da Vinci Marble. The Russet Handloom Cashmere Blend high pile rug from The Rug Company. Fazzo table lamp by InCommonWith.
From the very start and throughout the development of our showcase design, artists and art have been churning in the back of our minds. Having a sense of the artwork along the way helps us to make design decisions that will support that art. And for this showcase and this home and this design concept, we knew we wanted to feature the work of artists who use contemporary photography as a vehicle for their message. Art with a deeper meaning that provokes the viewer to think and ask questions is a mainstay of our practice.
“Art with a deeper meaning that provokes the viewer to think and ask questions is a mainstay of our practice.”
“These three works require pause and introspection. Even in the midst of a lavish design event in a storied home on a very wealthy street, we think it’s important to reflect and acknowledge the breadth of human experiences in the world right now.”
Clockwise L to R: A Map to the Door (2023) by Erica Deeman; #10192 (2011) by Todd Hido; I Shall Be Released (2015) by Richard Mosse
Flooring installations
02.29 – 03.01.24
In the middle of painting the closet space, our contractors had to stop and let the flooring folks come in for their installations. Showcase transformations happen in a very condensed period of time, so you have to be prepared to shift gears on the fly to ensure everything gets done. Getting the floors in is a big deal because it allows us to install the original baseboards back in place, finish all the priming and painting, and get everything prepared for the next milestone…..wallpaper installations.
Image left: The work in progress; ceiling color is a custom green mixed by Sherwin Williams. Flooring is Coswick oak plank flooring through Amber Flooring.
Wallpaper installation day
03.18.2024
We really examine the bones and architecture of a space, and consider its history, before determining the overall design. For this 125-year-old, Dutch Colonial-style mansion, we were inspired to create a space with warmth and intimacy: a room with elements that appear to have been there for decades, while also introducing very contemporary ideas, art, and design. A wallcovering called Stagionato by Belgian design house ARTE, a floral pattern on a weathered linen-like ground, became our hero design feature from the start. We knew it would wrap the room in the feeling of a secret garden, and the deep greens and faded black tones would provide the intimacy and drama we were going for. Another very important aspect of this decision was the interplay and impact of our art installation on this specific wall surface. The weathered linen backdrop of faded florals would act as a dramatic foil to the contemporary photographic surfaces and work as a theatrical backdrop.
Stagionato wallcovering in Foliage by ARTE, available through Sloan Miyasato.
“We knew it would wrap the room in the feeling of a secret garden, and the deep greens and faded black tones would provide the intimacy and drama we were going for.”
Checking in on custom pieces in progress
03.20.2024
Our three custom-designed case pieces are all in production. Our pair of custom nightstands is well underway thanks to Rafi at The Long Confidence. Sebastian Parker has landed a stunning slab of nearly 2”-thick Claro walnut for our custom stereo cabinet (the concept and design for this piece was inspired by the giant stereo cabinets our parents owned back in the 70’s), and today, we delivered two pieces of Cippolino Verde marble to his studio that will be embedded into the walnut frame. One step closer. Time to reconnect with Kelley Carroll on his progress with our custom bedding and window shades.
Vetting the Custom Window Shade On Site
04.04.2024
Kelley asked to meet on site at the showcase home to see the final bedding pieces and check the fit details on our custom roman shade. We’ve likened this window shade design to the perfect miso soup. Such a very simple and delicate thing that requires great nuance, detail and subtlety to execute beautifully. We chose a cream-colored, sheer Audley textile by Villa Nova for ROMO, which is covered in a grid of small embroidered dots all over the surface. The stitched pattern on the sheer surface of the shade will create a beautiful glow and shadow play as light streams in through this south-facing window each day. Kelley is adding delicate wood dowels to each break in the shade, and the tips of each dowel will extend slightly past the edges of the fabric to create a sound as the shade is raised and lowered.
Top right: Sculpting light with the diaphanous custom shade. Bottom right: Audley in Birch by Villa Nova for Romo is available through De Sousa Hughes.
Installation Day!
04.09.2024
Today is the day! We finally get to see it all come together. Our incredible move team, All Ways Delivery, has been a reliable and critical partner to us for over a decade, and bit by bit, they begin to place each piece in the room. The russet-colored, deep shag wool rug goes down first. It’s a welcome grounding of warm earthy color amidst the sea of green. Our stereo cabinet, the centerpiece of this room’s story, arrives next and looks as rich and meaningful as intended. The beautiful bed by De La Espada is then assembled in place, and we’re reminded of how satisfying it is to construct something so thoughtfully crafted.
We haven’t seen our custom bedside tables fully completed yet, so the anticipation is killing us. Rafi asked to deliver those himself, and as we see them come to the top of the stairs, it’s a pretty giddy moment. We provided form, scale and proportion to Rafi and asked for his artistic interventions to the surface of the pair of tables. From his selection of the wildly-grained elm to the placement of the embedded wood and cast brass patches, these pieces feel heroic. They exceed every expectation we had in mind and are simply stunning counterparts to the bed.
“We provided form, scale and proportion to Rafi and asked for his artistic interventions to the surface of the pair of tables. From his selection of the wildly-grained elm to the placement of the embedded wood and cast brass patches, these pieces feel heroic.”
Left: A glorious bespoke nightstand by Rafi Ajil of The Long Confidence, topped by Nebelschwaden (after Caspar David Friedrich) by Kota Ezawa (2015).
As we install the art, the custom textile pieces from Kelley will be the last to arrive in the room. The bold surfaces of contemporary photography are popping off the weathered textural wallcovering just as planned, and the strong sunlight through the window is illuminating everything with a warm glow. Kelley arrives, and we begin to install the delicate, sheer window shade first. The fit is perfection, and the impact of this piece on the room and on the light is profound. It’s like a bright textile light box projecting the embroidered dot pattern onto the room. The white rectangle of the shade mirrors the snowy landscape of Hido’s photograph on the adjacent wall.
Last night, we decided to include one final work of art from our personal collection to the bedside table. It’s a small lightbox piece by local artist Kota Ezawa entitled Nebelschwaden (after Caspar David Friedrich), and although it could hang on the wall, we’ve decided to sit it on the table. Friedrich is considered one of the most influential artists of German romanticism, and in this piece, which translates in English to “Clouds of Fog,” Friedrich depicts human scale in relation to the grandeur and power of nature. It feels like the perfect last piece to round out our curated art installation.
For the bedding, we designed a custom bedspread using a fabric by Zak + Fox, and a quilt-like blanket out of a Nobilis textile to drape across the bottom of the bed. The look and feel of these two fabrics have hands in different worlds, but we liked the disparate match up for this bedroom. The bedding drapes onto the floor on the sides and is finished without accent pillows in a very simple and monastic fashion. We’re so delighted by the final look of effortless, quiet luxury.
Mariner by Zak + Fox and Nobilis Stripes both through Kneedler Fauchère.
“We’re so delighted by the final look of effortless, quiet luxury.”
And in the span of a day, all the effort, all the designing and redesigning, all the studio visits and constant communications to meet our deadline, it’s done. Everything is in place. And it feels like a giant relief and a huge rush of joy. We put on a record and bask in this amazing space that has the power to delight the senses and calm the soul. Cheers to us and cheers to the 2024 Decorator Showcase!
