Decorating & Design
June 28, 2022
Celebrate Pride With Colorful Rooms By Jonathan Rachman
San Francisco-based designer Jonathan Rachman has a sunny, exuberant personality that spills into his work. Born on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, Jonathan’s work is marked by lively color palettes and luxe materials. “I was pickled and simmered in an environment of pattern on pattern, colorful fabrics, textiles and art and sculpture. Most people are afraid to combine those colors but it comes naturally to me.” The self-taught designer quit the corporate grind in his twenties to start Fleur*t, a flower shop that eventually drew the attention of Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker and Oprah. Soon, society types came calling to see if he could freshen up their interiors. “I told them I am not a designer, but I think I would be a good fluffer!” He took a chance and his work has since been in Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar and has won numerous awards. Now living in Carmel County with his husband, Jonathan just released his colorful new book available for pre-order, Currently Classic (Flammarion, 2022).
Scroll down and get inspired by these colorful spaces!
Jonathan is a huge fan of lush color and de Gournay wallpapers, which adorn his book’s cover. “The human factor is so important to me. An interior should have a soul. I am old school and I love the way de Gournay wallpaper is handpainted, not one stroke is the same. Everything is customized so the openings of the windows and door trims are taken into consideration so your best peonies and birds are not cut in half,” he notes. “If you look closely, you can see pencil marks and individual brushstrokes. It’s not something you can duplicate with a machine.”
In this San Francisco showhouse den painted in Benjamin Moore’s Graphite, Jonathan hung the wing tip of a World War II bomber and repurposed the pendant lights, originally a chicken feeder. “My imagination explodes with showhouses, they allow me to do almost anything,” he says.
The living room of this San Francisco decorator showhouse was inspired by Hubert de Givenchy’s salon vert on Rue de Grenelle. “Find something that you love, like a painting or wallpaper, or a pattern, and build from that. Colors like cobalt blue, kelly green, or eggplant can evoke the monochromatic in a daring way, one that’s full of personality and elegance.”
In this California winery showhouse, an ancestral portrait is propped near emerald accessories and books. A passionate collector, Jonathan’s rooms are filled with intriguing objets. “I source auction houses online or in person, estate sales, garage sales, sometimes even abandoned houses. I am a romantic collector; I buy things not because I am going to sell them or use them in a project. There are a lot of items that I will never let go until my last breath because I am sentimental and romantic. Every item I purchase or collect everything reminds me of my past or my parents.”
Pale dove-grey scenic wallpaper is a quiet twist in this Victorian home in San Franciso. The walls are wrapped in Schumacher’s Chinois Palais wallpaper while the Louis XVI linen-covered armchair is backed in Cowtan & Tout Fabric.
In this modern cottage, a pair of peridot velvet armchairs draw the eye like jewels. The Cloud chandelier by Apparatus sits above The Water’s Rising dining table by Tod Von Mertens. A pair of Giac settees provide the clients with a perfect view of their Picasso.
Colorful kitchens are a signature for Jonathan. In this gray-blue beauty, the color is played up on miles of millwork. The blue is an icy accent to the Calacatta marble and stainless appliances, but the warm walnut floors keep things from feeling frosty.
A glinting metallic tub is a show stopper in this Ashbury Heights bathroom in San Francisco. Graphic tiles and an Art Deco style backlit screen provide plenty of drama to balance the marble floor tiles. Jonathan chose a simple Voltaire scroll-topped bath from Waterworks and the bespoke window screen allows light to filter softly into the room.
A glossy black beam bisects the home office in this penthouse. An Italian fruitwood armchair has been refreshed with new leather upholstery and velvet in a duck-egg blue. For the bespoke ottoman, Jonathan chose Thibaut velvet from Anna French and an area rug by Stark.
“My parents allowed me to be myself, embrace beauty, travel the world and that was my education. Be brave the rest will follow.” In this two-storey San Francisco penthouse, the kitchen cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore’s zesty Emerald Isle. Kravet’s Acid Palm fabric is used to upholster the stools. The bespoke mosaic backsplash is by Waterworks.
In this art-filled room at San Franciso’s St. Regis Hotel, a torso by Manuel Neri stands behind a bespoke Metrocubo sectional sofa by Living Divani. The armchair is by Jean Royère and the coffee table is made of brass and shagreen.
This bedroom overlooks a Napa Valley winery so the view provides plenty of color. The principal bedroom is calm and paired back with a supersized custom headboard. The table lamps and bench are by Holly Hunt. The only touch of drama is the oversized Halo chandelier.
Currently Classic; Jonathan Rachman Design (Flammarion, 2022)