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Home&Garden San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Sunday, August 16, 2009 | Section L
At home with ‘Mad Men’ — the Drapers’ living room _ 1 Sterling Cooper Creative Director Don
_ 2 The Draper home may be
_ 3 Blue grass-cloth wallpa-
_ 4 To add a bit of cohe-
_ 5 The house is in-
Draper and his family live in a pre-disposable era, so it’s not surprising to see a neutral sofa, which can be modernized easily over time by changing the throw pillows. The sofa’s details come in the subtle pattern and cool shape: two chic L-shaped kinks.
decorated with classic pieces that have some longevity, but the Drapers don’t skimp on the latest technology, like this hi-fi stereo console. (Notice the great use of display space. The top doubles as a bar.)
per adds color and texture to the room. If you’re unwilling to commit yourself to papering an entire wall, designer David Marks suggests framing remnants of vintage wallpaper.
siveness to any look, choose some items with similar details. Here, the points in the simple valances mimic those in the lavish burl wood top coffee table.
tentionally layered with purchases and family heirlooms dating back to the ’30s, from the sculptural cranes to the wall sconces and cylindrical Asian vase.
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Ken Haber
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‘Mad’ style hits home Fill the ice bucket and give a nod to interior design of the early ’60s By Chantal Lamers S PE CI AL TO THE CHRONICLE
In anticipation of the show’s third-season premiere at 10 tonight, we asked David Marks, designer and proprietor of the 20th century design shop Room 4 in San Francisco’s Mission District, to give us tips for integrating “Mad Men”style vintage into the home. We also sought direction from Amy Wells, the show’s set decorator. Wells, who refers to vintage copies of House Beautiful magazine as well as old Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs, often passes by the iconic stuff in favor of the reality of what most people pur-
AMC
When it comes to the AMC television series “Mad Men,” the meticulous set decor is almost as captivating as the story line. The show about Madison Avenue admen takes place in early 1960s New York, when around-the-clock cocktails, tie-neck blouses and tapered-leg furnishings were mainstream. Thanks to Banana Republic, you can dress the part, but we’d rather live “Mad” style, three-martini lunch optional, of course. 1 Inside: Visit the admen at work for more midcentury marvels, plus designers’ favorites L4
chased. You can do the same. “Don’t only look for name brands because there’s a lot of fabulous stuff out there that doesn’t have a name attached and doesn’t need a name attached to it,” she says. “If you want to get the look, be very open-minded and don’t limit yourself. There are wonderful things out there everywhere.” Room 4 is at 904 Valencia St., San Francisco; (415) 647-2764. room4. com. E-mail comments to home@sfchronicle.com.
Past Perfect
Don and Betty’s bedroom The centerpiece of the Draper bedroom — a cool and sultry turquoise tufted velvet headboard — can be replicated somewhat easily, says Marks. If you’re handy with a saw, he suggests cutting out a silhouette similar to the Draper headboard, or simply opting for a basic rectangular wood piece. (You’ll also need batting, fabric and a staple gun.) On the other end of the price spectrum, JonathanAdler.com has a similar version called the Woodhouse bed, customizable in any fabric. Marks suggests pairing the headboard with linens that have a sheen or pattern to contrast the solid, matte velvet.
L4 | Sunday, August 16, 2009 | San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com
HOME
‘Mad Men’ style is at home at the office, too The must-haves
Past Perfect
We asked vintage dealers around San Francisco to name their ideal, musthave piece of midcentury furniture. Here’s what they said:
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2 “The Papa Bear Chair by Hans Wegner is a really fabulous combination of straight lines. It’s well designed to be sturdy, so a kid can be on each arm and then Dad can plop down in the middle. It’s also so comfortable and so practical.”
AMC photos
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— Melanie Shain, owner of Past Perfect, 2224 Union St. or 2246 Lombard St., San Francisco; (415) 929-7651
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Robollo Home
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Don Draper’s office _ 1 Customers who purchase
_ 2 Vintage globes, balancing
_ 3 Streamlined,
_ 4 Gooseneck
_ 5 For a mascu-
rotary phones typically don’t use them to make phone calls, says designer David Marks. Rather, they are reminders of the days when answering the phone meant being tethered to a desk.
on an old brass pedestal or Lucite stand, can double as art. Many of Marks’ clients also collect vintage cameras they display as sculptures and as an ode to obsolete technology.
industrial office supplies from staplers to calculators and tape dispensers are stylish, functional and affordable finds.
lamps are easy to come by. We love this dual cone version in matte black.
line desk, choose something classic along the lines of a luxurious Herman Miller Eames Soft Pad Chair.
Sterling Cooper offices
“Credenzas and cabinets. I just love the architectural aspect of them. We always look for pieces with clean lines, a (simple) look without a lot of ornate details. This is great because you can use it as a sideboard, a bookcase or an entrance piece.”
_ 1 Roger Sterling might be pouring a soda here, but it’s an exception to the show’s habitual office boozing. Highball and lowball glasses, chronically grasped by the admen, are signatures of the era’s ubiquitous cocktail culture. Masculine ice buckets, shakers and sets of themed or gold-accented glasses are easy to come by at flea markets and vintage stores. _ 2 Incorporate decorative objects like this artsy glazed studio pottery lamp paired with a neutral drum shade.
— Larry Martin, owner of Robollo Home at 1776 18th St., San Francisco; (415) 575-1776. robollo.com.
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4 Monument
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_ 3 Go for large, original pieces of art high in contrast to the room’s furnishings and accessories, says Marks. For midcentury acrylics, oils and lithographs, he says check out Lost Art Salon (lostartca.com) in the Mission District.
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“The Eames Lounge Chair. It’s the ultimate men’s chair. It combines elegance with style and comfort.”
_ 4 Create classic wood panels by installing sheets of thin, lightweight maple plywood with a rich walnut stain. Marks recommends painting the wall with an accent shade first, then spacing the panels about a quarter-inch apart to show little bursts of color.
— Michael De Angelis, co-owner of Monument at 573 Valencia St., San Francisco; (415) 861-9800. monument.1stdibs.com.
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