{"id":634983,"date":"2026-05-10T15:46:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T15:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/634983\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T15:46:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T15:46:13","slug":"inside-sf-decorator-showcases-staircase-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/634983\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside SF Decorator Showcase’s staircase nightmare"},"content":{"rendered":"

The staircases were gone. For weeks, the only way to reach the upper floors of 2315 Broadway St.<\/a> \u2014 an approximately 9,300-square-foot Queen Anne<\/a> built in 1897 \u2014 was through the back of the building, via a narrow corridor. Inside the home, more than 20 design teams worked tirelessly, simultaneously plastering, papering and painting, trying to meet an impossible deadline.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This is the San Francisco Decorator Showcase, a dream project pressure cooker. Annually since 1977, a standout home has been selected<\/a> and handed over, room by room, to some of the city\u2019s most talented designers to transform in a matter of weeks. For 2026, the chosen house<\/a> is a Pacific Heights Victorian with panoramic bay views and inherent magnetism that must have made any designer want to use it as their canvas. It also had enough awkward spaces and logistical issues to make industry vets think twice.<\/p>\n

For Alexander Nikban of Studio Alexander<\/a>, and Matt Bissinger and Briana Tunison of Maker & Moss Design,<\/a> this year\u2019s Showcase was a first. The way they describe it makes it clear that nothing really prepares you for the experience.<\/p>\n

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\"L\u2019Arriv\u00e9e<\/p>\n

L\u2019Arriv\u00e9e by Kendall Wilkinson Design at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"Ishara<\/p>\n

Ishara by Peruri Design Co. at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"Well<\/p>\n

Well played: The Game Room by Aly Gay Design at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE<\/p>\n

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Getting in<\/p>\n

The application process moves fast. Each year the selected home is opened for a walk-through, typically in December, though this round it happened in January. Anyone who received an invite and is interested in applying shows up, notebook in hand, often while the previous owner is still moving out.<\/p>\n

The brief is simple yet big: Pick a room and come back in two weeks with a fully fleshed-out proposal. Not just mood boards or sketches \u2014 prospective designers are expected to produce fabrics, renderings and material samples, meaning a complete vision.<\/p>\n

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Nikban\u2019s team arrived with three different concepts for three different rooms. \u201cWe were given limited information on the house,\u201d he wrote in an email to SFGATE, \u201cbut by walking through, we knew it held a lot of history and charm.\u201d Bissinger described a similar experience: an email, a walk-through and a scramble to put a plan together.<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/p>\n

The staircase of 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"La<\/p>\n

La Chambre Bleue by Jeanne Renee at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE<\/p>\n

Both teams heard back within days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were, needless to say, really excited, maybe a little bit in shock,\u201d said Bissinger during a phone call with SFGATE. \u201c… You always hope for the best, but psych yourself out of it a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Choosing a room<\/p>\n

For first-time designers, picking a room is part instinct, part strategy. Both Nikban and Bissinger got the same informal advice from the Showcase: Don\u2019t expect to land the kitchen, living room or primary suite. Aim for something more manageable.<\/p>\n

Nikban\u2019s team had a clear first choice \u2014 a second-floor bedroom \u2014 but was ultimately given a third-floor bedroom with an en-suite bathroom so the house would feel more cohesive. (Longtime Showcase attendees have commented on the exceptional continuity of this year\u2019s house compared with prior years.)<\/p>\n

The switch-up meant more planning. \u201cWe had to re-shift our design and make changes to fit the third-floor bedroom,\u201d said\u00a0Nikban. However, he said, \u201cWe love the room we ended up with and feel it’s stronger than any of the original designs we proposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/p>\n

The before picture of the room redesigned by Maker & Moss at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"Study<\/p>\n

Study Abroad by Maker & Moss at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE<\/p>\n

Bissinger\u2019s team landed a divided attic closet space with an A-frame roofline that wasn\u2019t exactly a designer\u2019s dream. That was part of the appeal, said Bissinger. Tunison, his colleague, saw the room as an opportunity. To her, it evoked a tent and gave safari vibes. With that vision as a jumping-off point, the rest \u2014 wallpaper, window treatments and the whole atmosphere \u2014 grew from that. Bissinger said the yellow shades, a pop of color in a mostly earth-toned palette, are what caught the showcase committee\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

It was \u201cthe selling point,\u201d Bissinger said. \u201cAs I understand, I think that was a key element for them when they were making their decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Off to the races<\/p>\n

After designers are accepted, the work begins immediately. Bissinger described the first few weeks as a flurry of emails and phone calls, trying to line up contractors willing to commit to the very ambitious timeline. Nikban\u2019s firm had the same checklist: sourcing materials, booking fabricators and coordinating deliveries into a building that was half-renovated, all while juggling existing projects and clients.<\/p>\n

The staircase situation affected everyone in the beginning. The home\u2019s contractor had torn out two staircases and was rebuilding them into a single, unified well through the house. \u201cFor a number of weeks you just couldn\u2019t go up the stairs,\u201d said Bissinger. \u201cYou had to go through the back of the building. There was scaffolding up … you didn’t know what to expect from day to day.\u201d Some days the front door was blocked off by construction.<\/p>\n

\"La<\/p>\n

La Salle de S\u00e9r\u00e9nit\u00e9\u00a0by Lizette Marie Interior Design at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"The<\/p>\n

The Pheasantry by Tineke Triggs Interiors at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"The<\/p>\n

The Bakehouse by Tineke Triggs Interiors at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE<\/p>\n

More than 20 teams, each with their own contractors and vendors, had to navigate this chaos. \u201cYou have people climbing over each other,\u201d said Bissinger of the scene.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt felt like being part of a theatre in a way,\u201d said Nikban. \u201cEveryone working towards a common goal of getting the house done and open to the public.\u201d What pleasantly surprised both of them was the camaraderie. On a typical job, there is some control over the site. Here, they were sharing it with dozens of people.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone was really very, I thought, very thoughtful,\u201d said Bissinger. In a project of this scope, snags are unavoidable, and he mentioned people stepping in to help each other. \u201cSo, you know … that\u2019s fantastic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Designers often use sponsorships, loans and trades to offset project costs. Bissinger and Tunison used marble donated by Pietra Fina for the surface of the bookcase, lighting on loan from MMclay and furniture borrowed from dealers and artists to transform the stark space into the cozy office they named \u201cStudy Abroad.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"West<\/p>\n

West | Red Bedroom by Castellanos Interiors at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"The<\/p>\n

The Chapel by AubreyMaxwell with Perez Construction at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"A<\/p>\n

A New York Minute by Studio Alexander at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE<\/p>\n

Nikban also partnered with vendors and his general contractor to help pull off the room. For him, the end result was a modern and moody space with custom walnut, grey marble and reeded glass \u2014 evocative of a swanky Manhattan hotel room \u2014 aptly named \u201cA New York Minute.\u201d The en suite, also featuring marble and artisan tiles from McIntyre Tile, is titled \u201cA Bay View Retreat.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The payoff<\/p>\n

Both designers were careful in not overselling what the Showcase has delivered so far in terms of concrete business terms \u2014 it\u2019s early. Bissinger talked about many business cards being exchanged and social traffic ticking up, but said the real return will reveal itself over the next six or 12 months. \u201cPeople may not call us tomorrow,\u201d he said, \u201cbut you never know when the phone rings and it\u2019s September and someone says we\u2019re moving back … we want to do X, Y and Z.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nikban said the intangible aspect of the event is the most rewarding.<\/p>\n

\"Birds<\/p>\n

Birds of a Feather Bedroom by Sonoma Interiors at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"The<\/p>\n

The deck of La Chambre Bleue by Jeanne Renee at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE\"The<\/p>\n

The Rear Garden by Martinelli Design at 2315 Broadway St., a Queen Anne Victorian that was selected for the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, in San Francisco, on April 22, 2026.<\/p>\n

Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE<\/p>\n

\u201cTo have people walk through and actually experience the space, ask questions and be able to get to know me\u00a0\u2014 is the best marketing tool there is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Neither would recommend completely doing such a massive undertaking in such a short amount of time, but this proved that it can be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known Decorator Showcase pretty much all my life, as long as I can remember … to me, it\u2019s very much, just, an institution,\u201d said Bissinger.<\/p>\n

The San Francisco Decorator Showcase<\/a> runs through May 25. General admission tickets are $50 online in advance plus $3.03 processing fee or $10 more at the door, with all proceeds benefiting the Financial Aid Program at University High School.<\/p>\n

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