San Francisco city of design

In 2019 Forbes declared that if California were a country, it would have the fifth largest economy in the world and in the city of San Francisco, bursting with businesses in the lucrative biotechnology, digital technology, and finance sectors, the microcosm of wealth is even more pronounced.

In addition to these affluent industries is San Francisco’s proximity to several popular holiday destinations. Jeff attributes the continued success of the interiors industry to the proportion of San Franciscan’s who own multiple homes; without too long of a journey one can escape to Tahoe to ski, the ocean at Carmel, or into the vines of Napa.

"Fortunately, our industry fared extremely well through worldwide lockdowns as people spent more time in their homes than ever before and for many businesses, 2021 was their most profitable year to date. Ultimately the pandemic made people see their homes in another way, and we want to make that last," says Jeff. Naturally multiple homes present greater project opportunities for architects and interior designers, especially amidst the pandemic as people scrambled to leave the city and retreat to a second home.

For independent design stores such as HEWN, the pandemic revealed an opportunity to take their close-knit design community online. Even with a population of 8 million people in the Bay Area, San Francisco remains quite provincial with a collegial design community where knowledge, resources, and questions are amicably shared between showrooms, architects, and designers.

By creating a Facebook page for the Northern California design community, Jeff provided a space for discussions about everything from events and government announcements to local support networks. With over 900 members and on-going use post-pandemic, the group is testament to the strength of community and collective desire for it.

‘House Calls’ were another creative way for Jeff to engage with interior designers at a time of isolation, conversing with them via zoom from their respective homes and sharing these conversations with their online community to maintain connections.

He emphasizes that the way interior designers work has been forever changed, however, no matter how advanced the technology the experience of visiting a showroom to source textiles and furniture is near impossible to replicate.

When deciding which brands to offer at HEWN the business’s reputation is a key concern – how do they care for their customers and how do they market themselves. Jeff is acutely aware of the fact that consumers remain young and therefore the showroom needs to be youthful and representative of their tastes. To build relationships with the next generation of designers, students are welcomed into the showroom each year to experience the space in action and understand how it caters to trade-specific needs.

While they believe in buying furniture from the continent you live on, the practice of textile sourcing is less strict for HEWN, distributing fabrics from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Italy. To the American market, Jeff considers Mokum a brand with an exceptional offering of functional textured plains which feel beautiful in the hand and are equipped with a comprehensive story which can easily be conveyed to their clients.

For designers worldwide excitement comes from the same places: new products and new sources of inspiration. Trends are not widely felt as San Franciscan’s generally appreciate a traditional design aesthetic, yet the ever-growing appeal of wallpaper and desire for visual optimism in colour is impossible to ignore.

Where to shop:

HEWN Showrooms of course! And Coup d'Etat known simply as 'coup'

What to see:

Dolby Chadwick Gallery and Saint Joseph's Art Society

Where to dine:

Spruce; Atelier Crenn a 3 Michelin star restaurant by the totally punk Dominique Crenn; Empress by Boon for Cantanese; and Tosca Café an institution with a new interior by Ken Fulk.