Coup D’Etat’s coup at the SF Decorator Showcase
Author:Lindsey ShookCoup D’Etat turns the dark library at the Decorator Showcase into a still-cerebral bright, contemporary space.
The anticipation is building for San Francisco’s Decorator Showcase—literally! Coup d’Etat Antiques provides the essential story of how a designer’s creative anxiety can be as involved and dramatic as this week’s ‘Top Design.’ Selected to design the library—one of the most sought-after rooms in the Pacific Heights home—owner and lead designer Darin Geise could hardly contain his appreciative excitement with his sparkling response, “It’s an honor to be chosen!”
For a small ‘bread and butter’ design firm on the rise, it’s a dream room come true. Already trained in the run-around and legwork required in 2009’s Showcase, in which Coup d’Etat was a last-minute pick to revamp a basement storage room. Lessons learned from the 2009 round were many, and this year, Darin promises he won’t be packing up his whole shop in a moving truck. The library is currently undergoing a serious transformation as Darin and his team work diligently (and quickly) to bring forth the provocative design they call, ‘Hall of Wisdom and Enlightenment.’
Coup d’Etat’s rendering is well on its way from the imagined to the real. “Before there was ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (the 2010 Robert Downey, Jr. version, that is) there was Darin,” says assistant Devon in reference to Darin’s ability to mix contemporary and antique styles while telling a rich textural story. In their statement to complement their storyboard, the firm describes the library as “an inviting room beyond time and space, where walls speak for themselves, telling of wonder and conception.” The existing wood-paneled and mirror-lined room already showcases serious architectural intrigue—hidden cabinets and closets—but Darin will refresh the space with an infusion of bright white and contemporary details.
Keeping in mind that the owner of the home is only a temporary client, Darin is happily “fauxing it” by using a lightening wax as temporary finish for the wood paneling. The mirrored wall will be covered by a 1920s Belgian steel bookcase overflowing with antique books. But most of the focus and anticipation rests on the one-of-a-kind furnishings. Almost entirely from Coup d’Etat’s own designs, the room will boast a spherical chandelier made from recycled Amish buggy wheels, a hydraulic coffee table, an opulent dark leather couch, a cowhide-covered bench and two large persimmon suede King chairs. If this hasn’t sparked your interest, just wait for the detail shots coming in our next blog!
