January 21, 2021 By Mary Jo Bowling Luxe
To designer Ken Fulk, life is like a film, and not only is he working on the screenplay, he’s building the movie set. Thus, when asked to help dear friends and fellow fashion lovers tailor their new Presidio Heights home to them, he began thinking of a narrative he unofficially calls “Hollywood glam meets haute couture!’ “I’ve long envisioned interior projects as movies-I often start them with clips playing in my mind;’ says Fulk, who has also been known to draw on ad campaigns, historic photos, celebrity outfits and album covers for inspiration. “In the early stages of the design process, my team writes a treatment, something like a movie pitch or script, that sets the tone for what is to come!’
For his friends Nadir and Sobia Shaikh, there was no question the script would contain elements of high fashion. Sobia and Fulk met at a runway event some 15 years ago and bonded quickly over their shared interest in style. “Sobia is a person who likes to live and entertain beautifully;’ Fulk observes. “Everything she touches is made more attractive, and she makes the effort to dress stylishly. Naturally, her home would be as fashionable!’
In the world of the Shaikhs, beauty and color go hand-in-hand. “We are originally from Pakistan, where bright hues are a part of the culture;’ says Sobia, a fashion blogger and Net-A-Porter ambassador. “I have always been attracted to color and I dress the part; for example, my wedding dress was bright orange, moss green and fuchsia. I wanted my home to reflect that!’ But the couple’s new dwelling, while lovely, was less than vibrant. “With her fashion sense, Sobia is a walking catalogue of inspiration. This house wasn’t like that;’ Fulk says. “Though it was very nice, it had been remodeled in a way that made the interior nondescript. The good news is that it presented a blank canvas that was waiting to be dressed!’
To begin, the designer had the couple answer a series of questions, a process he calls the “Fulkfessional!’ Sobia was not retiring about her vision. “Although I needed Ken to help me translate them and make them reality, I had many thoughts;’ she says. “For this home I wanted a zebra print, a wallpaper with an insect pattern, a pair of furcovered swivel chairs I’d seen in London, some peacock imagery, and bright blue and green colors!’
To some designers, such client mandates might seem intimidating. To Fulk’s ears, they were like an award-winning soundtrack. The zebra print appears in the opening scene, in a black-and-white striped rug that bridges the spaces making up a double living room. “Like many San Francisco homes, this one has side-by-side living spaces that were probably once divided by pocket doors. On one side, we created a public space with a curved blue sofa and the plush swivel chairs. On the other, there’s a more private salon with a banquette by the window that’s perfect for a lovely brunch or a place to enjoy cocktails and conversation.” The wallcovering, adorned with large images of gilded frames, injects a robust dose of glamour in both spaces. “Forgive the pun, but it’s a framework for the room;’ says Fulk. “It adds both drama and oldworld elegance!’
“Creature” comforts play a supporting role throughout. The requested insect pattern shows up in Sobia’s office, where emerald-colored beetles embellish the wallpaper and inspire the green cabinetry with brass accents. The brilliantly hued teal lacquer of the dining room walls and fan-like shapes of the chandelier and sconces recall the color and form of a striking peacock with spread tail feathers. But nowhere is the animalia nature more pronounced than in the media room, where an elaborate green-and-purple painted iguana spans the ceiling. “I love the idea of creatures in design, and this one is exotic and extravagant;’ says Fulk. “There’s almost something I call ‘ugly beautiful’ about the reptile. It’s like fashion, when something totally new comes down the runway. At first, you may find it startling, but look closely, and you see that it’s extraordinary and possesses great beauty. This fantastical beast looks like he just crawled in from the terrace and is the guardian of the room.”
That runway-inspired nature extends to the main bedroom, where a metallic accent wall with geometric nailhead patterns wouldn’t be out of place at Paris or New York Fashion Week. “The home’s interior architecture had been erased, and these kinds of features restore it;’ Fulk notes. “There’s a sexy quality to it, and the leather and studs are something you might see in the clothing of Jean Paul Gaultier or Dolce & Gabbana!’
Clearly, in this designer’s screenplay, fashion plays a major part. “When you are well-dressed you not only look better, you feel better;’ explains Fulk. “It’s the same with a well-dressed home, it goes hand-in-hand with a beautiful life;’ Thanks to the man who directed this interior, the fashionable family is now ready for their close-up.