SFBayStyle

One Kings Lane Launches Exclusive Sales With Top Interior Designers

Just across from Washington Square Park sits an elegant pink building that houses some of the best views of San Francisco you could ever see. The fourth floor flat with an $8.5 Million price tag served as an ideal location to host the anniversary celebration and Tastemaker Tag Sales launch party for One Kings Lane. The guest list matched the exclusive sound of the program, but in reality, the idea is to appeal to a broad audience of home owners and connoisseurs.

As founder Alison Pincus put it, "the customers are excited to have access to truly unique pieces you wouldn't find in your neighborhood" and the designers are thrilled to be able to move items that perhaps didn't fit in their homes or that they no longer need. (Pincus, pictured left with Ken Fulk and cofounder Susan Feldman.)

To celebrate the new launch, guests were welcomed by bagpipes, cocktails and luxurious decor. Cocktail chic doesn't even begin to describe this crowd. Beginning April 10, they - and the rest of us - will be able to shop online ever weekend for hand-picked items selected by designers and collectors such as Nathan Turner, Ann Getty, Kimberly Ayers, Suzanne Tucker and Kendall Wilkinson.

Finally, it doesn't cost anything to join. This is a sale not to be missed. There's no harm browsing, right?

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(Photos by Drew Altizer, Sarah Granger)

Move Over Access Hollywood. Here's Red Carpet Bay Area!

Saturday night will be an exciting night for our friends at Red Carpet Bay Area. At 7:30, KRON4 is showing the first ever episode of their new show. Listed as a "brand new magazine-style program highlighting the region’s unique culture, personality and style," Marybeth La Motte, Mark Hamburg, Greg Marasso, Jan Mabry and Cory Miller bring us an inside look at some of the incredible events that take place around the Bay Area.

This week's episode will showcase Japantown, Charleston Pierce and a Silicon Valley benefit gala. For thirty minutes, viewers can explore new aspects of San Francisco Bay Area life. The show leads into Entertainment Tonight and each show includes six segments "exploring fun new places to dine and shop and explore as well as the local red carpet scene."

“We’ll present some amazing moments from a variety of red carpet gala events along with special visits to some of the region’s most unique attractions in a lively format that captures the essence of the Bay
Area,” says La Motte.

Please join us in congratulating Red Carpet Bay Area and enjoy the show!

American Craft Council Show

 Wearable art by Kiss of the Wolf will be available at the American Craft Council Show, August 14-16

I've been reading Melissa Leventon's book Artwear: Fashion and Antifashion (Thames & Hudson, 2005). Ms. Leventon is a San Francisco curator and costume historian and in her book she discusses the history and evolution of Wearable Art. Created by artists at the turn of the 20th century and enhanced by hippies of the 1960's, wearable art is a niche market that is on par with couture. Perusing Ms. Leventon's book has put me in the mood for the upcoming American Craft Council Show, August 14-16, Fort Mason, SF.

The ACC show is one stop shopping for one-of-a-kind items hand crafted by artisans from around the country. On offer is jewelry, furniture, clothing, accessories, and home decor - all unique, quality pieces shoppers won't find anywhere else. To mark their 34th year, ACC is also planning extracurricular treats like wine tasting, artists' demonstrations, and a showing of the Faythe Levine film, Handmade Nation, a documentary on the rise of the handmade craft movement in the United States. Get all the details at: http://www.craftcouncil.org/sf/

Fabulous Fashion Fete on Sunday

The Four Seasons Silicon Valley (in East Palo Alto) is quickly becoming a hot spot for events in the Bay Area. Easy to access off 101 at University Avenue, the Quattro restaurant and rooftop pool bar have become popular destinations, so it should come as no surprise that philanthropic events are moving into the Four Seasons now as well.  This weekend, Gala for Giving is hosting a Fabulous Fashion Fete, featuring clothing, jewelry, accessories and home products.

The first 200 guests to attend receive swag bags. $15 is all it takes to get into this great event, and a portion of the proceeds go to BUILD. Show up at 2050 University Ave. at the Four Seasons (note: park anywhere on Sunday) and the event begins at 2:00pm, lasting until 6:00pm.

Walker and Bowes Glass Pumpkin Patch

The San Francisco Bay Area is sweltering at the moment. With temperatures in the double digits Fall should not be on my mind. I am resisting buying cashmere, and winter clothes, as I am too hot too carry the shopping bags.Then I stumbled, luckily just figuratively upon the Walker and Bowes Glass Pumpkin Patch at The Stanford Mall. Thousands of one of a kind glass pumpkins are on display throughout the mall. The pumpkins look as if they have just sprouted up in front of the shops. Pumpkins will be available for purchase on Aug. 29- Sept 1, Sept. 5-7, and Sept. 12-14. Proceeds from sales benefit local charities. Hard to believe that fall is just around the corner.

There will be an artist reception on Sept. 5th, from 5- 7:30 in Bloomingdales on the second floor.

CB2 Opens in Union Square

Last week, CB2 - Crate & Barrel's modern counterpart - opened its first west coast location in Union Square at 34 Ellis Street. For those that are unfamiliar with CB2, the well-known, home furnishings titan, Crate & Barrel, began its own line of modern furnishing eight years ago to cater to the loft/apartment-style home, and called it CB2. It originally began with a catalog and online website, as well as its first 2 stores in Chicago which opened first in 2000 and then in 2004. The new CB2 San Francisco location consists of 8,000 square feet spread over two floors and is only one of four store locations in the U.S. – the two stores in Chicago and one in SoHo New York that opened last year. The San Francisco store is constructed in an exposed brick-and-mortar space which is CB2's signature style for its other locations as well.

According to CB2's Product Director, Marta Calle (shown to the right of CEO Barbara Turf), CB2 is about modern, affordable furnishings that are fun and casual. As opposed to Crate & Barrel, with its variety in furnishings and accessories, CB2 has only one point-of-view – only modern – with more color and smart prices. One good thing to know is that CB2 has no cooking or gourmet department. As Ms. Calle says, it caters more to the casual lifestyle, and is more laid back and fun. Its style can be described as minimal with a mixture of color, warmth and textures, from clear acrylic tables and clever & fun accessories, to ethnic and eco-friendly touches like bath towels made from bamboo & Egyptian cotton and shesham wood pieces crafted in India. It has an eclectic mix of furnishings and accessories to certainly make things more interesting whatever your style or taste may be.

Continue reading "CB2 Opens in Union Square" »

Monique Lhuillier is known for her fabulous wedding gowns, interlaced and intricate. What is less commonly known is that her family - one of the wealthiest in the Philippines - had a home here in the Bay Area, in Hillsborough, where they would gather together. Whether the home had any inspirational influence on her as a designer we don't know, but she did spend time there. Since then, the Tuscan villa overlooking a wooded canyon peeking out to the Bay has gone through two owners, the second set of which renovated it entirely and it's breathtaking to see.

When Stephanie and Ray Hood first stumbled on this 6770 square foot Hillsborough home, it contained a wide range of styles, most notably Georgian and Meditteranean. Stephanie, had already managed renovations of five previous homes, so after they bought this one, she began working on her sixth. "Every surface" was redone, including floors, walls, lighting, even bannisters. The project took three months including flying in workers from Texas who the Hoods knew and trusted from their previous homes. The floors have been hand scraped, and antiques were specially purchased to fit into the rooms among other key pieces brought from their previous homes.

Union Square has been undergoing a lot of changes lately in terms of retail stores and one of the latest additions to the neighborhood is Crate & Barrel's lower end store, CB2. The San Francisco Store will be just around the corner from its big sister and it's a great place to get furniture that looks great but can take a few nicks from kids, pets, dorm living, etc. as well as a good place to find accent pieces that fit into anyone's home. Mostly modern, CB2 sells furniture and accessories.

CB2 is also having a 50% off sale right now online, so don't wait for the store to open to check them out.

See "the pages of Sunset magazine come to life" this weekend at the Sunset Celebration Weekend. View the latest in garden and home design at the Sunset headquarters in Menlo Park. In addition to the many design and cooking exhibits, there is a new feature this year: the Eco Lounge. Hear Local and national experts, join in for a yoga stretch. The Eco Lounge will also feature a fashion show by Eco Citizen on both Saturday and Sunday at 12:30.

Sunset Headquarters are located at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park. Tickets are twelve dollars, and free for children twelve and under. (Kids love it too!) The celebration runs June 7-8, from 10am to 5pm.

Menlo Park has a new green home store, Reclaim, that I checked out for ecofabulous as well as SFBayStyle. It's one of those stores that when you go in, you want to buy everything. The eco fan and design lover in me was oogling pillows, tote bags, furniture and even flooring. It's all green and refreshing.

Hip & Zen is an online retailer for eco friendly fashion. They sell women's clothing, jewelry, baby & toddler items, accessories and home goods. They select products that are organic, hand made, fairly traded, recycled or natural. Based in Mill Valley, they cater to the green and comfy crowd. Everything on their site is beautifully crafted, and they even have a blog, run by one of the BlogHer founders, Elisa Camahort Page, referencing topics related to eco fashion and style. I like the artistic element of the items found at Hip and Zen, such as the vases to the left. I wish I could just put those in my home and make it zen, but that's a step in the right direction.

For pet lovers, foodies, and architecture fans, tomorrow night at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in Union Square (SF) from 7-11pm, the Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) organization is hosting a fundraiser, "Petchitecture Goes Green," where "leading architects and designers use the best in renewable resources to create custom pet habitats that are yours for the bidding." Cool. Cocktails, live and silent auction accompany the nibbles. PAWS is a "volunteer-based organization that provides for the comprehensive needs of companion animals for low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and other disabling illnesses." Dogs on leashes are welcome at the event, and tickets start at $150/person.

I may be one of the few in the Bay Area that has a black thumb. I love gardens but cannot tell the difference between a native plant and a weed. It is the time of year that many plants and flowers are blooming - just ask anyone with allergies. Thanks to the rainy winter we endured, our gardens should be ready to grow. (Please no more April showers to bring May flowers.)

As I look out into my small yard at the lavender in bloom and the other purple flowers- not sure what they are called, I am struck by how lucky we are to have an early Spring here in the Bay Area. Even my rose bushes have come to life. It is clearly time for me to get some planting done, but what do I plant? I want to be sure to plant native plants and flowers that do not need to much water. I want my garden to be usable. My children enjoy cutting flowers for bouquets, herbs and veggies for cooking, and we want to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I think we should be able to do all of that.

I am planning to take a trip up to the Filoli Gardens in Woodside for ideas. There are also classes right here in Palo Alto at Common Ground, but I welcome tips for native plants that a gardener-in-training like me can plant.

One might ask what cage dancers, chocolate shoes, Secret Service, and bagels have in common. Last night's Politically Incorrect Valentine's Ball benefitting the Stanford Cancer Center had all this and more. Well, not exactly. The Secret Service were played by actors, as were the Hillary and Bill Clinton in the "Lincoln bedroom" at the home of Jillian Manus and Alan Salzman. Much more than just eye candy, the event raised several hundreds of thousands of dollars for the center.

For their annual ball, Manus and Salzman hosted over 200 guests, including Steve Westly, Melissa Rivers, and Asim Abdullah. The well-coifed crowd dressed to kill in tuxedos, gorgeous gowns and oodles of jewels sashayed through the progressive party inside the Salzman residence from 7 until 9pm at which time the party migrated to a tent on their back lawn for dancing and dessert. The event, orchestrated by Jillian Manus, Robert Fountain, and Paula LeDuc stunned and amused the crowd, all of whom were happy to indulge in anti-political antics for a worthy cause.

If you're looking for modern European furnishings for your home, be sure to head over to the Arkitectura In-Situ sale this weekend. Arkitectura carries quality furniture, fixtures (hello, kitchen and bath remodellers!), and accessories from more than 65 designers.

Even if you're not redecorating, the showroom is beautifully styled and definitely worth a look - just for the inspiration. Arkitectura has a reputation for being the city's mini-Limn: super-stylish but a bit more accessible and affordable. It's hard to leave without picking up a really cool lamp. Or some sleek-but-practical kitchenware.

Arkitectura is located at 590 Ninth Street, between Brannan and Bryant. Sale hours are 10-6.

...

If you're looking to buy a house, for people who don't live in a house would love to have the opportunity to have their own home. Different types of houses like modular houses or prefabricated homes are ideal for starter homes.

It's that time of year again when the leaves are falling, the air is getting crisp and, best of all, the showrooms at the San Francisco Design Center and the San Francisco Mart are making way for next year's inventory. It's a great opportunity to pick up a few new things for your house in time for the holidays, and there are some great deals to be found for bargain hunters.  Remember, these showrooms represent the best brands in the home decor business, where only the finest craftsmanship and most luxurious materials are found...this ain't K-Mart.

Here's a quick summary of a few of the items I saw yesterday while shopping...from Dunkirk, which specializes in outdoor furniture...4 bright orange dining chairs with 2 matching lounge chairs,  a  very pretty teak "Lyutens" style bench, and a lovely Henry Hall teak and steel  bench. Henredon has lots of merchandise available, as does the Schumacher showroom. It's well worth a walk-around, and to make it easy, many showrooms have put their sample sale pieces in the hallways with prices clearly marked.

The Design Center is  open on weekdays from 9-5.  While many showrooms only sell "to-the-trade", sample sales are generally open to anyone interested in purchasing. 

The fabulous Isaac Mizrahi, award winning couture designer and the original "make it affordable and available at Target" designer has just introduced his first collection of fabrics for use in home decor.  I was lucky enough to be invited to a luncheon at the S. Harris showroom in the San Francisco Design Center earlier this week, where I was treated to a wonderful presentation of this new collection, as well as a delicious lunch.

The fabrics in the collection are incredibly unique and fresh, and you see many of the bold colors that he favors on the runway show up....vivid reds, oranges and greens appear in a wildly over-scaled chintz, and then reappear in both delicate sheer linen and a beautifully detailed medallion metlasse.  Metallics also showed up in unusual places...woven into a cotton twill, washed over a richly colored linen, and flecked through a chenille.  It's a really interesting and fresh take on decorative fabrics, and I hope to be able to use some of them soon for a client or two. I love the connection between fashion and design, which really makes this collection different from more traditional fabric collections.

Like all the best fabrics, these are only available "to the trade" through the S. Harris company, so call your Interior Designer if you want to take a closer look.  I've noticed that most of the design magazines have mentioned the new collection, and I'm sure it will be widely advertised in the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled for some pretty pictures.

I don't know why this event crept up on me this year, but somehow each of the years I've known about it, I have either been out of town or already booked with events I can't miss. That happened again this year (sigh), but I'll be anxiously awaiting reports from the front about the "Left My Heart in San Francisco" themed Home Tour, featuring Russian Hill residences.

Preview and cocktail night was last night at the San Francisco Art Institute. The tour is today, Saturday Oct. 13 from 10am-4pm. Tickets are $70 and $115. Proceeds go to the Junior League of San Francisco and through them toward a number of worthy local organizations, including the Bring Me a Book Foundation, Homeless Prenatal Program, Sequoia Healthy Start, Compass Community Services, La Casa de las Madres, and the International Rescue Committee.

I've heard all good things about the JLSF home tours, so I'm looking forward to going - I mean it this time - next year. (Somebody please give us a heads-up as soon as the date is selected.) If you want tickets for this year's tour, go to the JLSF Marketplace on Chestnut Street, between Hyde and Larkin to purchase tickets. Live auction will take place at that spot at 1:00pm. Silent auction already began last night and closes at the JLSF Marketplace at 3pm.

You do not need to be an East Coast socialite to have personal calling card, gift cards and stationery. Palo Alto designer and artist, Lori Rohrbach has recently started Lobird. Lauri has a beautiful selection of printed papers with vintage inspired designs. The note cards come elegantly wrapped in ribbon with a charm that matches the the design. The papers are reasonably priced, and are the perfect hostess or holiday gift. Lobird desings are not available in stores. You can set up a meeting with Lauri, or attend a trunk show. E-mail Lauri at Laurie(at)Lobird.com to set up an appointment, and view the entire collection.

Bloomingdale's is having a "5 day Home Sale" starting tomorrow, Oct. 4 and running through Monday, Oct. 8th. Looks like items range from 10-80% off their regular price. Sale includes furniture, housewares, mattresses and linens.

Inspirational Tuscan Gem in Hillsborough

Monique Lhuillier is known for her fabulous wedding gowns, interlaced and intricate. What is less commonly known is that her family - one of the wealthiest in the Philippines - had a home here in the Bay Area, in Hillsborough, where they would gather together. Whether the home had any inspirational influence on her as a designer we don't know, but she did spend time there. Since then, the Tuscan villa overlooking a wooded canyon peeking out to the Bay has gone through two owners, the second set of which renovated it entirely and it's breathtaking to see.

When Stephanie and Ray Hood first stumbled on this 6770 square foot Hillsborough home, it contained a wide range of styles, most notably Georgian and Meditteranean. Stephanie, had already managed renovations of five previous homes, so after they bought this one, she began working on her sixth. "Every surface" was redone, including floors, walls, lighting, even bannisters. The project took three months including flying in workers from Texas who the Hoods knew and trusted from their previous homes. The floors have been hand scraped, and antiques were specially purchased to fit into the rooms among other key pieces brought from their previous homes.

CB2 Moving Into Union Square

Union Square has been undergoing a lot of changes lately in terms of retail stores and one of the latest additions to the neighborhood is Crate & Barrel's lower end store, CB2. The San Francisco Store will be just around the corner from its big sister and it's a great place to get furniture that looks great but can take a few nicks from kids, pets, dorm living, etc. as well as a good place to find accent pieces that fit into anyone's home. Mostly modern, CB2 sells furniture and accessories.

CB2 is also having a 50% off sale right now online, so don't wait for the store to open to check them out.

Sunset Celebration Weekend

See "the pages of Sunset magazine come to life" this weekend at the Sunset Celebration Weekend. View the latest in garden and home design at the Sunset headquarters in Menlo Park. In addition to the many design and cooking exhibits, there is a new feature this year: the Eco Lounge. Hear Local and national experts, join in for a yoga stretch. The Eco Lounge will also feature a fashion show by Eco Citizen on both Saturday and Sunday at 12:30.

Sunset Headquarters are located at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park. Tickets are twelve dollars, and free for children twelve and under. (Kids love it too!) The celebration runs June 7-8, from 10am to 5pm.

Reclaim - Green Home Store in Menlo Park

Menlo Park has a new green home store, Reclaim, that I checked out for ecofabulous as well as SFBayStyle. It's one of those stores that when you go in, you want to buy everything. The eco fan and design lover in me was oogling pillows, tote bags, furniture and even flooring. It's all green and refreshing.

Hip & Zen Online from Mill Valley

Hip & Zen is an online retailer for eco friendly fashion. They sell women's clothing, jewelry, baby & toddler items, accessories and home goods. They select products that are organic, hand made, fairly traded, recycled or natural. Based in Mill Valley, they cater to the green and comfy crowd. Everything on their site is beautifully crafted, and they even have a blog, run by one of the BlogHer founders, Elisa Camahort Page, referencing topics related to eco fashion and style. I like the artistic element of the items found at Hip and Zen, such as the vases to the left. I wish I could just put those in my home and make it zen, but that's a step in the right direction.

Petchitecture Goes Green for PAWS Friday in Union Square

For pet lovers, foodies, and architecture fans, tomorrow night at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in Union Square (SF) from 7-11pm, the Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) organization is hosting a fundraiser, "Petchitecture Goes Green," where "leading architects and designers use the best in renewable resources to create custom pet habitats that are yours for the bidding." Cool. Cocktails, live and silent auction accompany the nibbles. PAWS is a "volunteer-based organization that provides for the comprehensive needs of companion animals for low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and other disabling illnesses." Dogs on leashes are welcome at the event, and tickets start at $150/person.

Garden Time

I may be one of the few in the Bay Area that has a black thumb. I love gardens but cannot tell the difference between a native plant and a weed. It is the time of year that many plants and flowers are blooming - just ask anyone with allergies. Thanks to the rainy winter we endured, our gardens should be ready to grow. (Please no more April showers to bring May flowers.)

As I look out into my small yard at the lavender in bloom and the other purple flowers- not sure what they are called, I am struck by how lucky we are to have an early Spring here in the Bay Area. Even my rose bushes have come to life. It is clearly time for me to get some planting done, but what do I plant? I want to be sure to plant native plants and flowers that do not need to much water. I want my garden to be usable. My children enjoy cutting flowers for bouquets, herbs and veggies for cooking, and we want to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I think we should be able to do all of that.

I am planning to take a trip up to the Filoli Gardens in Woodside for ideas. There are also classes right here in Palo Alto at Common Ground, but I welcome tips for native plants that a gardener-in-training like me can plant.

Bipartisan Support for Stanford Cancer Center - Politically Incorrect Valentine's Ball Had It All

One might ask what cage dancers, chocolate shoes, Secret Service, and bagels have in common. Last night's Politically Incorrect Valentine's Ball benefitting the Stanford Cancer Center had all this and more. Well, not exactly. The Secret Service were played by actors, as were the Hillary and Bill Clinton in the "Lincoln bedroom" at the home of Jillian Manus and Alan Salzman. Much more than just eye candy, the event raised several hundreds of thousands of dollars for the center.

For their annual ball, Manus and Salzman hosted over 200 guests, including Steve Westly, Melissa Rivers, and Asim Abdullah. The well-coifed crowd dressed to kill in tuxedos, gorgeous gowns and oodles of jewels sashayed through the progressive party inside the Salzman residence from 7 until 9pm at which time the party migrated to a tent on their back lawn for dancing and dessert. The event, orchestrated by Jillian Manus, Robert Fountain, and Paula LeDuc stunned and amused the crowd, all of whom were happy to indulge in anti-political antics for a worthy cause.

Arkitektura Sale This Weekend

If you're looking for modern European furnishings for your home, be sure to head over to the Arkitectura In-Situ sale this weekend. Arkitectura carries quality furniture, fixtures (hello, kitchen and bath remodellers!), and accessories from more than 65 designers.

Even if you're not redecorating, the showroom is beautifully styled and definitely worth a look - just for the inspiration. Arkitectura has a reputation for being the city's mini-Limn: super-stylish but a bit more accessible and affordable. It's hard to leave without picking up a really cool lamp. Or some sleek-but-practical kitchenware.

Arkitectura is located at 590 Ninth Street, between Brannan and Bryant. Sale hours are 10-6.

...

If you're looking to buy a house, for people who don't live in a house would love to have the opportunity to have their own home. Different types of houses like modular houses or prefabricated homes are ideal for starter homes.

Sample Sale Season at the SF Design Center

It's that time of year again when the leaves are falling, the air is getting crisp and, best of all, the showrooms at the San Francisco Design Center and the San Francisco Mart are making way for next year's inventory. It's a great opportunity to pick up a few new things for your house in time for the holidays, and there are some great deals to be found for bargain hunters.  Remember, these showrooms represent the best brands in the home decor business, where only the finest craftsmanship and most luxurious materials are found...this ain't K-Mart.

Here's a quick summary of a few of the items I saw yesterday while shopping...from Dunkirk, which specializes in outdoor furniture...4 bright orange dining chairs with 2 matching lounge chairs,  a  very pretty teak "Lyutens" style bench, and a lovely Henry Hall teak and steel  bench. Henredon has lots of merchandise available, as does the Schumacher showroom. It's well worth a walk-around, and to make it easy, many showrooms have put their sample sale pieces in the hallways with prices clearly marked.

The Design Center is  open on weekdays from 9-5.  While many showrooms only sell "to-the-trade", sample sales are generally open to anyone interested in purchasing. 

New Isaac Mizrahi Fabric Collection Now Available

The fabulous Isaac Mizrahi, award winning couture designer and the original "make it affordable and available at Target" designer has just introduced his first collection of fabrics for use in home decor.  I was lucky enough to be invited to a luncheon at the S. Harris showroom in the San Francisco Design Center earlier this week, where I was treated to a wonderful presentation of this new collection, as well as a delicious lunch.

The fabrics in the collection are incredibly unique and fresh, and you see many of the bold colors that he favors on the runway show up....vivid reds, oranges and greens appear in a wildly over-scaled chintz, and then reappear in both delicate sheer linen and a beautifully detailed medallion metlasse.  Metallics also showed up in unusual places...woven into a cotton twill, washed over a richly colored linen, and flecked through a chenille.  It's a really interesting and fresh take on decorative fabrics, and I hope to be able to use some of them soon for a client or two. I love the connection between fashion and design, which really makes this collection different from more traditional fabric collections.

Like all the best fabrics, these are only available "to the trade" through the S. Harris company, so call your Interior Designer if you want to take a closer look.  I've noticed that most of the design magazines have mentioned the new collection, and I'm sure it will be widely advertised in the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled for some pretty pictures.

Junior League Home Tour in Russian Hill Today

I don't know why this event crept up on me this year, but somehow each of the years I've known about it, I have either been out of town or already booked with events I can't miss. That happened again this year (sigh), but I'll be anxiously awaiting reports from the front about the "Left My Heart in San Francisco" themed Home Tour, featuring Russian Hill residences.

Preview and cocktail night was last night at the San Francisco Art Institute. The tour is today, Saturday Oct. 13 from 10am-4pm. Tickets are $70 and $115. Proceeds go to the Junior League of San Francisco and through them toward a number of worthy local organizations, including the Bring Me a Book Foundation, Homeless Prenatal Program, Sequoia Healthy Start, Compass Community Services, La Casa de las Madres, and the International Rescue Committee.

I've heard all good things about the JLSF home tours, so I'm looking forward to going - I mean it this time - next year. (Somebody please give us a heads-up as soon as the date is selected.) If you want tickets for this year's tour, go to the JLSF Marketplace on Chestnut Street, between Hyde and Larkin to purchase tickets. Live auction will take place at that spot at 1:00pm. Silent auction already began last night and closes at the JLSF Marketplace at 3pm.

Lobird Designs

You do not need to be an East Coast socialite to have personal calling card, gift cards and stationery. Palo Alto designer and artist, Lori Rohrbach has recently started Lobird. Lauri has a beautiful selection of printed papers with vintage inspired designs. The note cards come elegantly wrapped in ribbon with a charm that matches the the design. The papers are reasonably priced, and are the perfect hostess or holiday gift. Lobird desings are not available in stores. You can set up a meeting with Lauri, or attend a trunk show. E-mail Lauri at Laurie(at)Lobird.com to set up an appointment, and view the entire collection.

Bloomingdale's Home Sale Starts Tomorrow

Bloomingdale's is having a "5 day Home Sale" starting tomorrow, Oct. 4 and running through Monday, Oct. 8th. Looks like items range from 10-80% off their regular price. Sale includes furniture, housewares, mattresses and linens.