STYLIST SECRETS
THE REIGN OF
SPAIN
San Francisco designer Gary Spain creates rooms for a living, so when it came to the design of his own living room, a quick dip into his personal archives turned one space into three very different looks. BY MIKHAEL ROMAIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLIE MAIER
Timeless Style
“I don’t care if a piece is neoclassical or modern, from a thrift store or showroom, I just really love cool things that go well together,” says Spain, who paired an Arne Jacobsen Egg chair with an industrial steel floor lamp. An enormous antique clock anchors the room. “When you have something so striking, you want the surroundings to be minimal,” says Spain, who had extra slipcovers made for his clean-lined sofa. In this case, charcoal velvet was swapped in to dress up a white cowhide rug and vintage metal chair.
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CALIFORNIA HOME+DESIGN MAR/APR 2009
TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE SHOOT: CHDMAG.COM/REIGN-OF-SPAIN
STYLIST SECRETS
Cool Hunter
“If a room gets too serious, I like to funk it up a little,” says Spain of the salonstyle room he created by displaying horns, drawings and a fuchsia-colored etching above a plaster bust he found in a Petaluma antiques shop. “I wanted this to be a space where you could sit with a cocktail and hang out,” says Spain, who was inspired while staring at the blank wall. The black-and-white striped rug emphasizes the lines of the zebra rug, and the graphic dark/light scheme is picked up again in the brown-and-cream damask upholstery from Sal Beressi Fabrics.
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CALIFORNIA HOME+DESIGN MAR/APR 2009
TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE SHOOT: CHDMAG.COM/REIGN-OF-SPAIN
STYLIST SECRETS
World Wise
For an exotic look, Spain combined a Moroccan shag rug and royalpatterned throw pillow from Krimsa with French Provençal chairs upholstered in cream-and-brown stripes and a gold pouf from Tazi Designs. “I love the rug,” says Spain. “It’s traditional, but mixed with the contemporary elements, it feels very modern.” Spain chose an oversize modern pendant lamp from CB2 and hung a single abstract drawing by Bay Area artist Peter Foucault. “The large lamp and art piece fill the space without being overwhelming,” he says. The vintage Tony Paul coffee table is adjustable; here Spain has raised it to give the space a cafe-like atmosphere.
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CALIFORNIA HOME+DESIGN MAR/APR 2009
TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE SHOOT: CHDMAG.COM/REIGN-OF-SPAIN
STYLIST SECRETS
Gary Spain
EDUARDO ACORDA
“I find interesting, weird things and make them work. I want people to walk in and be wowed. I like to create spaces that make people think,” says Spain, whose San Francisco flat is a chicly cluttered example of his eclectic taste. A creative director and photo stylist in Dallas, Texas, he moved to San Francisco four years ago to concentrate on styling and interior design. Today his work includes advertising campaigns, catalogs and editorial photo shoots. “When I’m on a project, I’m really inspired by everything I see,” says Spain. “I go home and move things around according to what I’m doing at the time, so basically my house is in a constant state of change.”
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CALIFORNIA HOME+DESIGN MAR/APR 2009
TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE SHOOT: CHDMAG.COM/REIGN-OF-SPAIN