The dramatic family room in a house in Pacific Heights was designed by Kendall Wilkinson. It was created with a canvas in natural materials, including reclaimed wood walls and floors, and hand-applied plaster. The ceiling light is by Urban Electric. The fireplace, clad in steel, was designed by William Duff Architecture.

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FORM San Francisco designer Kendall Wilkinson tailors highly

individual interiors for her clients. “Bespoke” is her mantra.

STORY BY DIANE DORRANS SAEKS

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.Interior designer Kendall Wilkinson is known for her versatilityand meticulous attention to detail. The key to each designis her deep understanding of the requirements for modernliving along with close collaboration with each homeowner.

“Design is so exciting today. I love the lively dialogue andthe range of explorations with my new clients,” says Wilkinsonat her studio in the heart of Pacific Heights. “Most of my

clients come to me with a successful professional background.Many have a lifelong passion that will be reflected in their livingspaces. For a new San Francisco client with a talent for tech anda passion for music, we incorporated his collection of vintageguitars into the design of the living room, along with his collectionof contemporary art.”

Recent projects include a penthouse in an elegant downtownSan Francisco high-rise, where Wilkinson dreamed up super-chic,white-on-white decor that seems to float in the air.

“My goal is for a residence to be a place of refuge and relaxationand a conduit for informal entertaining,” says Wilkinson. “Whetherit’s a post-soccer get-together with families or a cocktail party withfriends and colleagues, the interiors must work for you.”

Collaborating with top California architects and contractors,Wilkinson takes astute steps to preserve the history and integrityof classical interiors and adds a sense of architecture to new con-struction.

“Filling a room with antiques and formality is not commonthese days, but layering graphic new furniture with some vintagepieces creates contrasts and lively conversation,” she emphasizes.“Something old—a chandelier, a gilded table, a collection of artbooks—brings a layer of authenticity and history to a contemporaryinterior. It can be provocative. Design is always evolving.”

In the library of a new residence on four acres in theSanta Cruz Mountains, Kendall Wilkinson Design

planned soft tones of sienna, rust, terra cotta, and indigo blue. The chandelier is by Hervé van der

Straeten. Equine sculpture by Deborah Butterfield.

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For a paneled dining room (opposite) in San Francisco, Kendall Wilkinson created a neutral palette of gray and ivory tones. Upholstered chairs were designed by the firm. In a city living room (below), an antique glass chandelier is from Murano. Classical upholstered

pieces designed by Kendall Wilkinson frame the dramatic contemporary painting.

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This year, Wilkinson’s firm is celebrating its 25th anniversary.After studying design and apprenticing with her mother, designerAlice Wiley, she founded Kendall Wilkinson Design in 1991. Sheis admired for her deep appreciation of a range of architectureand historic detailing for estates on the Peninsula, Lake Tahoe,and the Napa Valley. For new residences in Pacific Heights andAtherton, she is adept at juxtaposing sleek modern interiors withdramatic contemporary sculpture and versatile furnishing.

Wilkinson notes that many clients today are collecting art byemerging artists, visiting galleries, and getting to know young artists.

“For me, it’s very exciting to collaborate with them and to forgea fresh dialogue between the décor, the furnishings, and a rangeof new artwork,” she adds. “Each room becomes highly personaland exciting. I give the paintings and sculptures prominence inthe perfect setting.”

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For a new residence in a remote region of the Santa Cruz Mountains (above), a silver-leaf four-posted bed is accompanied by a matching daybed upholstered in moss green velvet from Furniture by Ironies. Using Palladian-style paneling, Kendall Wilkinson Design created the appearance of an historic residence in a new high-rise in San Francisco (opposite). White-painted walls and graphic marble flooring offer a perfect counterpoint to sleek modern furniture.

PHOTO� PAUL DYER / WWW�DYERPHOTO�COM

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Wilkinson recently spent two years painstakingly transforminga hard-edge modernist apartment in San Francisco into a graciouspied-à-terre. She adorned its handcrafted new wall paneling withgallons of exquisite white paint.

For a client who loves color, she created poetic interiors withcitrine-colored silk curtains, sofas in chocolate brown linen velvetpiped with lemon silk, and a smart dash of vividly patterned chintzpillows as accents.

Wilkinson loves the challenges of renovation and remodeling.“Many people prefer not to rip out existing structures or walls andrebuild everything,” she says, “but still want a fresh and polishedresult. This really tests a designer’s innovative qualities. I plan so-lutions that work for a very specific space, and this takes a lot ofthought and creativity. That’s why I love design. I love enhancingpeople’s lives.” �

“Many people prefer not torip out existing structures orwalls and rebuild everything,”she says, “but still want a fresh and polished result.”

PHOTO� DAVID DUNCAN LIVINGSTON / WWW�DAVIDDUNCANLIVINGSTON�COM