Legends of Design: Jean-Michel Frank

For this installation of Legends of Design, we look at an incredibly influential designer whose name is often spoken with reverence.

Jean-Michel Frank | Photo by Rogi André
CNAC/MNAM/Dist. RMN–Grand Palais Art Resource

Jean-Michel Frank, working primarily in Paris during the 1920s and ’30s, built a reputation on what might seem like a contradiction: quiet rooms that still feel deeply luxurious. Often associated with Art Deco, his work stripped away the ornament and excess typical of that movement, leaving behind spaces that felt calm, edited, and incredibly refined. He wasn’t formally trained, which probably contributed to his work feeling so instinctive—less about rules, more about perception and proportion. In fact, he believed that "perfect taste" was a blueprint for a soulless room. During his career, he collaborated with an impressive array of designers and artists such as Diego and Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dalí, Emilio Terry, and Christian Berard. And he counted Elsa Schiaparelli, the surrealist fashion designer (whose house has been successfully resurrected by Daniel Roseberry) as a close friend.

Frank is often described as a minimalist, but that word doesn't tell the full story. Yes, his spaces were restrained—pared down to essential forms, softened palettes, and an almost architectural sense of proportion. But layered into that restraint was an unexpected richness. What really set Frank apart was his obsession with materials. He had a marvelous ability to combine both humble and rare finishes and elevate them through context; he was clearly ahead of his time with this talent. Straw marquetry, plaster, and sandblasted oak might sit alongside shagreen, parchment, rock crystal, or mica—each chosen not for hierarchy, but for how it contributed to the overall composition. There’s a lesson here that still resonates: good design comes down to the care and intent with which materials are selected and brought together.

His interiors were intentionally spare (thus his "minimalist" label), but not cold. Frank understood that emptiness, when done well, creates presence. Rooms were often reduced to their essential elements—strong silhouettes, neutral palettes, and tactile surfaces—allowing art, light, and proportion to do the heavy lifting. It’s the kind of restraint that feels especially relevant now, as we continue to move away from over-designed spaces toward something more grounded and enduring. In 1936, while working with this idea of pared-down elegance, he designed what became the Parsons table. Today it feels almost everywhere—so simple it’s easy to take for granted—but his original concept was more nuanced: a clean, almost skeletal form meant to be wrapped in something unexpected and luxurious, like ivory, and the afore-mentioned mica, or shagreen.

Another aspect of his work that feels surprisingly current is how seamlessly he blended eras. Frank frequently paired modern, simplified forms with references to 18th-century French design, creating interiors that felt both timeless and quietly forward-thinking. "I believe that a less severe principle can be found — the mixing of styles," Frank wrote in 1935, "The noble frames that came to us from the past can receive today’s creations [paintings]. The house that we build now can welcome ancient things of beauty." His signature look was termed as "luxe pauvre," literally "poor luxury" in French. That mix—old and new, refined and raw—is something we return to again and again in contemporary design. And it is an approach I strive for in my own design practice.

A distant cousin of the famed diarist Anne Frank, he fled France around 1940. As both a Jew and an out gay man at that time, he was wise to escape the coming Nazi occupation. He ended up working and traveling in South America and the United States--his last project was the 5th Avenue apartment for Nelson and Mary Rockefeller. A frail and slight man who suffered from depression and ill health his entire life, he killed himself by overdosing on barbiturates in 1941, at the too-young age of 46. I wonder if he knew how his work would ripple out, how influential he would become, and how he would take his place in the pantheon of legendary designers.

In the photos above, we see Frank's design for banking heir Templeton Crocker's living room in his San Francisco penthouse. The walls are covered with parchment squares. The fireplace is faced with mica in gilt bronze inlays. Seating is upholstered in ivory Moroccan leather, and table lamps are made of rose quartz and obsidian chunks, all arranged on a chocolate brown carpet.

This image is of Crocker's sunroom which occupied the upper floor in the 6,000 square foot San Francisco penthouse with views overlooking The City.

Above is a view of the salon in Nelson Rockefeller's New York City apartment designed by Jean-Michel Frank, showing a mix of eras, a custom Aubusson carpet, and prominently featuring artworks--by Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Giorgio de Chirico, Alberto Giacometti, and Henri Matisse's mural over the fireplace--all from Rockefeller's staggering collection.

The Comité Jean-Michel Frank has been initiated by the artist’s family to promote the work and legacy of the designer. The site has a list of some wonderful publications about Frank. And French furniture manufacturer ECART holds the rights to many Frank-designed pieces, so you can own your very own bit of design history.

Happy designing!

A Serene Primary Bathroom by Fiorito Interior Design

When purchasing a new home, clients often inherit outdated spaces that are either dysfunctional or simply unappealing. Such was the case for a couple who came to me with a cramped primary bathroom. Defined by an unmistakable 1980s aesthetic and a truly perplexing layout, the space was divided into a maze of enclosed areas, including a walled-in shower and an awkward corner vanity.

By fully gutting the room, we were able to reimagine it from the ground up, creating a space that feels open, expansive, and inviting. With the partition walls removed, natural light now flows freely throughout. The design direction, guided by the clients, centers on calm and serenity. A restrained palette of pale marble and sky-blue accent tiles—laid in a herringbone pattern at the vanity and echoed in the generous shower—creates a quiet sense of rhythm and ease.

There is nothing to distract, nothing to disrupt—just a soothing space to begin the day or unwind in the evening.

And for contrast, here is what it looked like before...

If you have a dated bathroom longing for an update, give me a call. I can help!

Happy designing!

The San Francisco Decorator's Showcase 2026

Regular readers know that I attend the San Francisco Decorator Showcase every May and I always look forward to seeing what marvelous, inventive interiors my fellow designers have come up with and to finding new and exciting products and materials I can use in projects of my own.

This year's iteration was fascinating, displaying a real return to tradition, vintage, antiques, warm color palettes, and a respect for crafted objects. The site is an exquisite Queen Anne-style Victorian residence at 2315 Broadway Street in Pacific Heights. Built in 1897 and designed by architect Moses J. Lyon, the historic home spans nearly 10,000 square feet over three floors -- and does not have an elevator. Despite the hefty square footage, the space felt intimate and approachable.

The front entry was recontextualized by Studio Green to include a water feature consisting of blue translucent resin panels. If you go, try out the heated concrete chairs! And of course, the view out to the Bay is stunning ... the top of the Palace of Fine Arts is visible under the Golden Gate Bridge.

The little cloak room off the entrance by Rachel Scheff beautifully set the tone for the rest of the house. Victorian elements featured in this space along with a gorgeous Nero Marquina and Calacatta Viola geometric floor, and an adjacent powder room with a sculpted wash basin also out of Calacatta Viola.

The true entry to the house was unexpected. Kendall Wilkinson used a light and airy color palette of cream and a sweet blue-grey with a hint of green, something the Victorians were definitely not known for, in this space she called L'Arrivée. After passing through a tented vestibule, one emerges into a roomy, welcoming parlor that includes a sitting area off to the right, a large central table in the middle (crowned with a marvelous branch-like lighting fixture) in front of the fireplace. Classic elements (Louis XVI and Queen Anne chairs) mixed with contemporary objects (a wonderful amorphic torchiere in the sitting area) to create a pleasing juxtaposition.

Designer Sindhu Peruri drew from her Indian heritage to create a sitting room steeped in the language of her home country. Titled "Ishara" which means a knowing nod or wink in Hindi, she Used blue as a base color and embellished the space with details like stenciled designs in the coving at the ceiling line and a pair of sconces that recalled the earring connected to a nose ring that women wear. An unexpected feature was a swing in the bay window with a convertible seat back so the sitter can face inward to the room or outward to the bay view!

Beyond Kendall Wilkinson's arrival salon is a dining room called A Gated Space, created by Marsh & Clark Design. Apparently there was some structural work done to this room to clip the corners of the former rectangular floor plan and install storage spaces from Bakehouse Kitchens for dinnerware and serving pieces. I loved the irregularly shaped dining table, the roses on the ceiling spiraling out from the center light fixture, the free-standing bar in the bay window alcove, but especially the sculptural iron gate-doors that separate the room from the rear sitting and kitchen area.

Talented Tineke Triggs designed a whole world at the rear of the house with a sitting area she calls The Pheasantry (shown in a gorgeous wallcovering from Fromental), a beautiful warm-toned kitchen, and a fantastic pantry/beverage station off the kitchen with hand painted walls and coved ceiling by Caroline Lizarraga.

Moving on to the second floor, we come upon Lizette Marie Bruckstein's fantastic, spacious bath/changing room/closet space serving the adjoining Primary Bedroom. The central axis of the space with its paneled doors terminating in a free-standing bath tub is marvelous. The shower off to the right is a wonder, clad in a heavily patterned marble and mirrored tiles...the window to a secret garden allows the shower space to feel as though it is outdoors.

Transitioning from the warm tones of the bathroom to the warm tones of the Primary Bedroom felt natural. Designer Fernando Castellanos says "the room is defined by restraint than excess, where warmth is introduced with intention. The paneled wood wainscot is not wood but a sleight-of-hand painting technique by Nicole Hayden and the adjoining dressing room with another jaw-dropping view of the Bay and Bridge is a collaboration with Levi's Blue Tab collection, shown on clothing racks.

I absolutely loved Jeffrey Neve's double bedroom for a pair of brothers. The space was rooted in a lyrical East coast sensibility of heritage and antiques. From the plaid ceiling treatment to the hunting pattern on the drapery, to the classical cameo on the fireplace and the yummy textured walls, the space felt inviting, relaxed, and safe.

Neve also created a charming Jack and Jill bathroom with more elements that speak to heirlooms and time like a pair of bobbin mirrors, an exquisite autumn-colored wallcovering, and a floor of mosaic pieces that looks like woven cane or rattan...

...and the adjoining bedroom on the other side might have, at first glance, seemed to be cut from an entirely different piece of cloth so to speak, but it certainly carried on the theme of antiques and an Old World sense. Designed by Chantal Lamberto, this room titled Delft Dreams features a blue and white color palette (I loved the mattress ticking on the walls, finished with cord!) with a collection of furniture and lighting (an antique French tole chandelier) with a very European flair. And of course, the fireplace was faced and lined with delicate Delft tiles!

The wildly colorful Game Room and Hideaway by Alyson Gay was a bright moment of fun. This sunroom gained a dropped coffered ceiling from Gay as well as jewel-toned agate sconces, Murano glass chandeliers, kaleidoscopic art, and an acrylic Monopoly game! The secret hideaway room at the back sported a sweet tented ceiling.

The Birds of a Feather bedroom and bathroom by Andrea Halkovich of Sonoma Interiors boasted a stunning Chinoiserie wallcovering with cranes and a lovely custom-shaped area rug.

Even the humble laundry room is elevated at Showcase houses and this one by Kimberly Harrison called The Slow Spin is envisioned as a cross between a place to do chores (built-in steam closet!) while having cocktails!

The team at Aubrey Maxwell was responsible for creating a space they called The Chapel. Their site expresses the concept beautifully: "This is a chapel for communion—over cocktails at dusk and sunset aperitifs before the dinner bell. A chapel for stillness and devotion, where one might lose themselves for hours in the pages of a beloved book, or reconnect with a faraway voice as the light softly fades. It is a chapel for fellowship and for solitude. For sinking in and letting go. For laughter that echoes like hymns beneath the rafters. There are no doctrines here, no rites to perform, no boxes to check—only presence. A chapel for one, a chapel for many, a chapel for all. Guided by a mission to enwrap the soul, entice the body, and awaken the mind, we turned to materials both ancient and elemental—limewash, clay, stone, wood, wool, and silk. Humble in origin, yet transcendent in effect, they form a tactile liturgy of texture and tone. So we raise a glass to the chapel—to its makers, its moments, and to all who cross its threshold." Indeed, the space has a tranquil Zen-like feeling, with what is absent being just as important as what is present in the room.

Even before I saw the title of the next bedroom, I felt the Studio 54-night-life-New-York vibes of Alexander Nikban's glossy black New York Minute bedroom! It feels like a set for a Helmut Newton fashion photo session from the 70's with its moody charcoal casework and dark-glamour mirrored wall. The adjacent bathroom is just as citified and fabulous...

If one of the motifs for this year's Showcase house was heritage and antique, the Chambre Bleue bedroom took top honors, featuring dense pattern on pattern with a lovely blue and white forest wallcovering against patchwork curtains for a four poster bed. Designer Jeanne Renee says it was meant to evoke a visit to a Parisian boutique hotel, but there were also nods to Edwardian England with a great fireplace fender upholstered in green velvet.

The European theme was carried over for the final bedroom space called Study Abroad. The designers Briana Tunison and Matt Bissinger of Maker & Moss say that the space was meant to evoke the private quarters of a 19th century traveler whose life kept them in motion across continents, with the sloped attic ceiling suggesting tent architecture evolving into a permanent form.

The San Francisco Decorator Showcase house is open until May 25, 2026. If you are or will be in the area, I highly recommend a visit to this year's very special edition. There's still time!

Happy designing!