2026 Showcase Design: Geoffrey De Sousa’s Manor Moderne at the 2025 San Francisco Decorator Showcase

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After a 14-year hiatus, designer and showroom owner Geoffrey De Sousa decided it was time to return his talents to the annual San Francisco Decorator Showcase. “I’m a huge fan of the San Francisco Decorator Showcase and have participated many times in the last 30 years,” De Sousa proclaims. “I feel the exposure it allows has truly helped me to make a name for my firm in the Bay Area.”

The 10,000-square-foot Pacific Heights home had undergone a renovation just 15 years prior, therefore many elements—including delicious wall paneling in the formal living room that De Sousa and team were selected to rethink—served as original details for inspiration. “The wood walls were the jumping-off point for the entire space,” he recalls. “We refreshed the finish in places but the beautiful golden hue of the wood and the rooms’ southern exposure gave us a warm and luxurious backdrop for sumptuous textiles and bold large-scale art.”

To the left of the fireplace is a Vivaldi Bar Cabinet by Aldo Tura (Italy 1958) with silk-screened musical-themed decoration by Silvio Testi. Tura production label on front. Available at Coup D’Etat. Photos by Jose Manuel Alorda.

An eclectic blend of decorative pieces, art, lush furnishings and antiques surround the original mantel that celebrates the home’s history. “We wanted to change the light limestone fireplace surround to something with more depth in color, but unfortunately that meant having to demolish part of the mantelpiece itself,” he notes. “Cook Construction took on this task for us and meticulously re-created the identical design within three days using beautiful stone by Da Vinci Marble.”

Modern art selections play a central role in contemporizing the more traditionally clad walls. De Sousa—who is a passionate art collector—partnered with Lisa Lidenbaum of Lindenbaum Art Advisory to source local galleries for bold pieces including a Polaroid of Little Edie Beale by Andy Warhol, Orchard Street #79 by Richard Serra and Blue Loop by Richard Diebenkorn.

The Fold sofa by John Pomp Studios and a pair of Devon sconces by Caste Design were sourced from De Sousa Hughes. The green Todo Modo chairs are by Jean-Michel Wilmotte (1993), and the art above the sofa is Sem Começo Nem Fim / Without Beginning or End by Sir Isaac Julien, found at Jessica Silverman Gallery.
The Fold sofa by John Pomp Studios and a pair of Devon sconces by Caste Design were sourced from De Sousa Hughes. The green Todo Modo chairs are by Jean-Michel Wilmotte (1993), and the art above the sofa is Sem Começo Nem Fim / Without Beginning or End by Sir Isaac Julien, found at Jessica Silverman Gallery. Photos by Jose Manuel Alorda.

The furniture and lighting selections were inspired by De Sousa’s travels and proclivity for history. “I once sat in  green armless chairs in a gallery in the Louvre and the antique Chinese pillows on the sofa were a gift from my great-great aunt, who started the economics department at Wharton and was a true feminist trailblazer in the early 20th century,” he remarks. “This room is a great example of the types of interiors I strive to create, a room with a sense of history that speaks to its owner’s passions while still being modern and fresh for today.”