Secret Passageway to China

This is the final week and your last chance to see Chinoiserie table settings at their best, at Gump’s in San Francisco.

The always-creative, tireless team at Gump’s are showcasing six Bay Area interior designers and their vivid visions of a magical China seen through the eyes of the artists.

An Air of Hermes is distinctly present in the installment by Scavullo Design, where inspiration is spawned from the majestic horses on the Hermes plates.

Bringing to mind images of old military campaign tents where officers were catered to like guests at a dinner party, the design team re-imagined such a scene, bringing in elements that combine comfort, whimsy, “and our special twist on modern elegance,” said Marysia Rybock of Scavullo Design.

It was by chance that the design team, which included Jr. Designer Evalani Washington, (“who was a huge part of this,” according to Rybock) chose both Hermes china and silver. The flatware is the Hermes Grand Attelage collection.

“We were first drawn to it because the harness motif (“attelage” in French) has a distinct equestrian feeling to it.  When we found out it was Hermes we knew it was meant to be,” Rybock said.

Things started to fall into place due to this coincidence, which ultimately determined the color palette. The design team decided to use the iconic shade of orange that is so identifiable with Hermes.

“We searched high and low for the right shade of teal to balance out the luxury and strength of the orange color, and thus ended up with our color palette of teal and Hermes orange,” Rybock explained.

The Parnassus Dining Table on loan from Studio Workshops, has a starburst veneer pattern and luxurious finish which permits intense pops of color to showcase the beauty of the china.

The ceramic horse sculpture from the Gump’s collection is a reproduction from the Tang Dynasty and is dated to 618-906 A.D.

“Once we saw it, we knew it had to be a part of our display. It just carries the theme so well,” Rybock stated.

The succulents, chosen for their subdued shades of sage and purple, are placed around the prancing horse sculpture “almost like a field through which he is marching or galloping,” Rybock mused.

The colors draw in the beautiful antique world map, on loan from Arader Gallery.

“The idea is that your eye is drawn from the horse to the map, and you’ll ask yourself, ‘Where is he going next?’”

Read about the installments of Fisher Weisman and Tucker & Marks in the article, “Dinner at Gump’s;” and Ann Getty & Associates in the article “Ann Getty at Gump’s” only on Beauty Shall Save the World.