The 46th annual San Francisco Decorator Showcase is underway, giving patrons a glimpse into more than two dozen decorated spaces in a 1902 Pacific Heights mansion through May 26.

Several Marin design firms are participating, including two that took on bedrooms and bathrooms, one that designed a garden apartment and another that worked its magic on a dining room. And a Marin artist transformed a hallway with her clever take on family portraits.

Moroccan mirage

Julie Rootes of Julie Rootes Interiors in Corte Madera was inspired by the luxury hotels of Marrakesh, Morocco, when she tented the entire dining room in 200 yards of pleated prima alpaca fabric.

A three-time Decorator Showcase participant, Rootes outfitted the area with a custom-patterned rug and bench along a wall, solid zinc palm torchieres and a Derek chandelier inspired by the headpiece Bo Derek wore in the movie “10.”

A bronze dining table is surrounded by solid bronze dining chairs that each weigh more than 60 pounds.

“They’re a showstopper; people are obsessed with them,” she said. “The dining room is a bit Park Avenue meets Marrakesh. I wanted it to feel collected over time, which is why you see antiques mixed with contemporary pieces and custom furnishings.”

The tenting cleverly solved a myriad of the room’s architectural challenges: a coffered ceiling, a lack of natural light and a view on to a neighboring home.

“Selecting the individual pieces and getting the scale right was very important,” she said. “I leaned into the size constraints by making it an intimate gathering space. People feel immediately calm when they walk in the space, and the acoustics of a tented space allow people to talk and have conversations easily.”

‘Special period of life’

This is the second Decorator Showcase appearance for Ansley Majit of L + P Interiors in Sausalito.

Her project this year was to transform a plain white boxy bedroom along with a traditional and slightly dated Jack and Jill bathroom into spaces inspired by the teenage years.“It’s a very special period of life that’s often overlooked or at least not really appreciated,” she said. “But it’s this time of development, learning oneself and really vacillating between wanting to be home and safe and wanting to explore and be independent.”

It was this juxtaposition that found its way into her design.

“A lot of pieces feel nostalgic, others feel more forward-looking, and the art was thoughtfully assembled to layer into the space and inspire,” she said. “The aim was to create a space that was equally cozy and inspiring.”

While the existing rooms presented only minor challenges, the bathroom was narrow.

“We wanted to bring in a darker vanity, so special attention was paid to making sure the wallpaper connected all the way around the room so it didn’t feel lopsided, and a special nook was created for the toilet,” she said. “Rather than just a regular wainscot, we created a faceted border around the nook that I think makes it feel really special and intentional.”

If you go, notice the artwork by female artists, the custom marble desk and the canopy that frames the bed in the bedroom, and in the bathroom, the confetti-like tile from Artistic Tile and the geometric hardware from Nest Studio.

Pay attention to the wallpaper, too.

“Everyone should consider it, particularly in a small space like a bedroom or bathroom, or even a laundry room,” she said. “It’s a great way to add personality, but please don’t do an accent wall. Wrap the whole wall and, surprisingly, it will feel less intense and less jarring.”

Imaginarium

Adjoining the Jack and Jill bathroom is Imaginarium, a room inspired by designer Heather K. Bernstein’s own teenage son.

The principal of HKB Interior Design in Kentfield, Bernstein wrapped the walls in grasscloth, added an unfussy French bed, some edgy art, including a photograph of graffiti in West Marin, and to keep the urban feel, there’s no window treatment, so the exterior of the neighboring building becomes the centerpiece of the view.

Family portraits in DNA

You’ve seen them, hallways stacked with family portraits, but you probably haven’t envisioned Diane Rosenblum’s clever and creative spin on that concept.

Her installation of 39 paintings along a main hallway are in serene shades of iridescent pearl and silver, quiet blues and greens, beige and black, each one corresponding to a relative in her DNA.

“I chose all the colors, mixing them and testing them until I was satisfied with how they looked and how they worked together,” she said.

She then organized their presentation on the wall by eye.

“I made a family of paintings for each wall, choosing groups of two, three, four or five that speak to each other and live together well,” she said. “In putting each grouping together, I thought with care about how visitors would respond to the colors in each section as they walked down the hall.”

Rosenblum, a San Rafael resident, is inspired by family connections and how we carry our ancestors in our bodies.

“I came to the idea of making portraits with DNA when doing genetic genealogy and comparing my chromosomes with those of my cousins,” she said. “I wanted to create a calm, warm feeling of belonging and to illustrate how ordinary spaces, such as the hallways we walk through, can be transformed into places that bring us joy.”

Quiet luxury

In her fourth turn at the Decorator Showcase, Lauren Berry Interior Design in Ross created a stylish bedroom and bathroom that embraced a sense of quiet luxury.

The acrylic bathtub on a chevron-patterned tile floor from Artistic Tile is visually arresting as you step into the sunlight-filled space, and the champagne-colored carpeted bedroom exudes a feeling of comfort.

She thinks that people will appreciate “the use of beautiful materials in an uncomplicated way” in her Decorator Showcase design and that they might consider “using plaster as the wall and ceiling finish in bathrooms and showers instead of tile” in their own homes.

Garden apartment

Katie Monkhouse of Katie Monkhouse Interiors in Larkspur did a tour de force in the garden apartment on the lowest level, designing its kitchen, lounge, bedroom and bathroom.

A curvy sofa in the lounge plays against a curvy island in the kitchen, where there’s hand-painted tile and a marble backsplash to add interest.

In the bathroom, there are twin sinks and more marble and hand-painted tile, and the bedroom has delicate-looking hand-painted Fromental wallpaper and a custom velvet upholstered headboard.

Details: The Decorator Showcase runs through May 26 at 2935 Pacific Ave. in San Francisco. The house is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (last entry) Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last entry) Fridays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last entry) Sundays and Memorial Day. Admission is $45 to $55, and proceeds benefit San Francisco University High School’s financial aid program. Tickets can be bought online or at the door; cash is not allowed at the door.

More information at decoratorshowcase.org.

Show off

If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin home, I’d love to know about it.

Please send an email describing either one (or both), what you love most about it and a photograph or two. I will post the best ones in upcoming columns. Your name will be published, and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O. Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.