COTE DE TEXAS: Grant Gibson Visits!

Grant Gibson Visits!

 

image

The boyishly handsome 6’4” tall Grant Gibson sits in front of series of architectural prints in his apartment.   Grant took the illustrations from a book and then placed them in $20. matching frames.    The apartment is full of his great buys mixed in with rarefied antiques.   Together, it makes for a beautiful and very sophisticated living space.  

 

This week Mr. Grant K. Gibson, interior designer and blogger from San Francisco, sits down at The Skirted Roundtable for a chat.  We were thrilled to get the chance to interview the young, charming, and uber-talented Gibson, who is currently riding a tidal wave of popularity that most of us can only dream about.   The New York Times recently did a large spread on Grant and his wonderful apartment and from that article, as you might imagine, even greater success has followed.  The Times article highlights Grant’s sophisticated rental  – pointing out all the thrifty measures he took to turn his place into something out of the pages of a magazine.   The story of his apartment begins with a space full of potential but in need of quite a bit of updating.  Grant bartered several months of free rent in exchange for sweat equity and it all paid off - the apartment is a stunner.   Grant started with a fresh coat of white paint on everything but his bedroom, while his doors all got a coat of glossy black paint.   He refinished his “pencil” colored hardwood floors himself, staining them a dark walnut.    He retiled his bathroom with the help of his aunt.   A built in banquette turned a bay window into the focal point of the dining room.    After the shell was ready, Grant installed his unique collection of antiques, art work, and accessories.  Did he please his most difficult client – himself?   Most assuredly!

 

image

The living room in Grant’s apartment is filled with the accessories, books, and prints that he likes to collect.    On the sofa, the pillows are made of a Fortuny fabric that he found on 1st Dibs.

 

 image

An earlier photograph of his bookshelves in the living room.  Later Gibson added mirrors to the back of the shelves to expand the room.  The hanging lights are fabulous!    I love the frameless, oval portrait – am I the only who sees a resemblance?

 

 

image

A close up of a vignette with one of his beautiful secretaries. 

 

 

image  The bay window in the living room:    a skirted table with Greek key trim sits next to an antique  Swedish Gustavian chair.   

 

 

image

BEFORE:    Right after Grant moved into his new apartment, this photograph was taken, showing the exact same view as above.   You can see the “pencil” colored hardwoods before Grant refinished them a dark walnut.  The walls were painted red in this room and non descript shades covered the windows.   On the outside he calmly smiles, inside his mind is probably racing with all the possibilities he envisions for his new space.  

 

 

image

The Dining Room with its banquette focal point.

The dining room is my personal favorite room in the apartment.   In the large bay window, Grant built in the cabinets which double as seating for dinner parties.   His dining room table?  The famous burlap skirted table from Ballard Designs!  Underneath, his dog crate is stowed here.   The blinds were another smart buy – from Target.   The sconces are from Europe, made out of antique door knockers!    Along the left wall, in front of pocket doors that are permanently shut – Gibson placed another skirted table – a rectangular one – that he uses for a buffet and TV stand.     I love this space – it’s so chic, so sophisticated – yet it is totally welcoming and warm.

 

image A scene from a recent party: here,  you can see the skirted console set up as a bar.  The TV has been removed for the evening. 

 

 image From a recent House Beautiful article:   Grant’s skirted console with the TV on it – the black flatscreen disappears against the black pocket doors.  You can barely even tell the TV is there.   What a great idea!   This technique could be adapted by using a black screen placed behind a flatscreen TV.

 

 

image

A close up of his gorgeous Biedermeier secretary in the dining room.   A formal oil portrait rests above it.   By adding one or two pieces of antique furniture into each of his rooms, Grant adds an air of sophisticated luxe and richness to his space.   The importance of antiques in a room can’t be stressed enough, and Grant certainly makes the case for them.   

 

image

The Blue Bedroom.

Grant’s bedroom, painted a deep blue, continues the sophisticated look.  The bed was a lucky find, Pottery Barn Teens used to sell this iron canopy for $500, but no longer.  Grant customized the bed by adding the luxurious mohair covered headboard.  More prints hang on the walls, along with a convex mirror.   Paint color:   Farrow and Ball’s Drawing Room Blue.  

 

 

image A close up of the window treatments in the bedroom.  The curtains are a linen, but Grant splurged on an expensive Greek Key trim. 

 

 image

A glimpse of the outside of Grant’s apartment.  Guess which one is his!!!!!   Of course the brown tortoise shell shades give it away.    The building is in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.   For now, Grant is happy with his rental and has no plans to move.  But, he says “When I do find the right place to buy, I'll want to do all of the same things that I did here.”  Thank goodness, because this place is perfection.  And like they say – you don’t mess with perfection!!!

 

 

image

To listen to Grant’s interview on The Skirted Roundtable – go HERE.   For more views of Grant’s work – visit his web site HERE.  And finally, a huge thank you to Grant for letting us keep him up late Monday night!    You’re the best!!! 

 

Note:   A little Cote de Texas business:   First and Second place winners will be announced in the French Basketeer Rolling Cart giveaway as soon as possible.  The response was overwhelming!  I only wish I had 1,000 to pass out to all of you.  Thank you so much for all your support , loyalty and friendship.

46 comments :

  1. all so sophisticated, he looks really young and the house is so grown up Thanks for sharing.
    desiree

    ReplyDelete
  2. I got really excited for a second and thought you meant he was going to be in Houston. I love his work! It is so sophisticated and he is such a sweet guy. Can't wait to listen!

    ReplyDelete
  3. well, as if it is not bad enough to know that my (still beautiful!) honey colored hardwood floors look dated, there is now a name: pencil

    Thanks for the great post :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looking forward to hearing this discussion. I love the apartment and all that he did, very innovative.
    Thanks,
    Leslie

    ReplyDelete
  5. The tv in front of the black doors is pure genious!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I listened to the interview earlier and it was so good! It was apparent that he is a genuinely nice person and is so grounded despite all of his early success. Thanks for the photo tour and descriptions, so enjoyable!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love his style, his indulging occasionally in treasures, but not being above the good deal. Seems like a great guy, too. Hmm...still wondering how his upholsterer did that headboard. Great interview! Merci! Trish

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very smart! Have a good weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. A very talented young man. I've seen other examples of his work and it is always perfection..I love his design style.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is the first time I have seen his work. So enjoy seeing someone who is not afraid to mix in affordable things and ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  11. We love Grant! Very talented guy!

    E + J

    ReplyDelete
  12. Can't wait to listen tomorrow morning with my cup o jo...these images are stunning...he's so gentlmanly....

    Best,
    Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  13. great post.... very sophisticated ... but so many ideas that we can do in our home.... dang.... I have pencil floors too... oh well !

    ReplyDelete
  14. I loved this article, and the blue bedroom has stuck with me. Glad to hear he's getting a boost from it; he deserves it and so does his landlord.

    ReplyDelete
  15. How beautiful and sofisticated. He has a great collection of art and antiques. I'm sure we will be seeing and hearing lots more from Grant
    Firoozeh

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gorgeous spaces-beautifully evolved with everything in its place. A touch of Bill Blass-who is a favourite of mine, An honest to goodness rising star and well deserved.

    ReplyDelete
  17. stunning! such a talented designer. love the bold blue color in the bedroom. Great post enjoyed it tremendously..looking forward to more great posts! lulu

    ReplyDelete
  18. Joni:
    Kind of strange question...and will require a bit of horticultural knowledge on your part, but do you have any idea what type of plant (large, appears tropical) he has used in his living room?
    I often see it used in shelter mags, and think I could have one down here in Brazil, if I knew what it was!

    I suppose I could email Mr. Gibson (intimated! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a beautiful apartment, he has made great use of the architecture in his home. Beautiful and unique.

    ReplyDelete
  20. So glad you included the before and after pictures of the apartment! It's amazing what a difference the transformation of the wood floors makes to the overall appearance. Have a great weekend, Joni...

    ReplyDelete
  21. L-O-V-E his aesthetic, classic and neither fem nor overly masculine...beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I know, how much better do those floors look!! He looks like has a gorgeous style to his work, really genuine style, I love it! Wish he could come do my home some time... oh well... great post!

    ReplyDelete
  23. The taller of the secretaries is beautiful and looks to have been refinished with excellent skill.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I have always admired Grant's apartment and have saved photos it, but know nothing about him. Looking forward to the podcast.
    Thanks Joni!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Joni, Great Post, what a young and talented man Grant is. Love his apartment and his use of antiques. The touch of the Greek key is wonderful. So much eye candy.Great choice to add the mirrors behind the shelves. I love mirrors to reflect the light and his did the trick. Now I need to go and listen to your discussion on SRT. You all are getting so many Stars, thank you for doing such a great job,Kathysue

    ReplyDelete
  26. As much as I love skirted tables, I have never thought of using any thing other than round. Love those secretaries!

    ReplyDelete
  27. MyLittleHappyPlace, the tree might be this?- Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus Lyrata).

    ReplyDelete
  28. I have watched this star rising and it has been a joy. I appreciate the personal effort he (and his aunt) have applied to this apartment. It is a wonderful mix of the high and the low. It is a personal statement that lingers and inspires. I thought the placement of the TV was brilliant, practical and stylish. I'd wish him great success, but he's already there.

    p.s. I didn't realize he was so tall. I'll have to show my 6'5" husband this room. He already complains that our house has too narrow "roadways." Nice to see a tall man live so big in a relatively small space.

    ReplyDelete
  29. fabulous post and it is so fun to learn more about grant... what a talented man he truly is! have a lovely weekend joni.... xx pam

    ReplyDelete
  30. This was an awesome post! I loved skimming these spaces, taking mental notes of his beautiful talent of design & my favorite with a budget in mind. Love the buffet/tv idea!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wow! He is going to have a long career! Love his use of... everything!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I am over the moon about this post. I love Grant's style and that bedroom cold I HAVE to have. Thanks for noting the F&B color. Do you have any idea of the source for the library lights? I need something with a narrow base link that. Love the use of unified tortoise shades throughout. I love secretary desks too. The floor looks so much better.
    Great post Joni.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Rather interesting place you've got here. Thanks for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to this matter. BTW, try to add some photos :).

    ReplyDelete
  34. It was a great interview. Just saw some pics of Grant's apt on this post I hadn't seen before. Oh - also I needed some humor so I reread the Mr. Slipper Socks get's ID'd in the store - so funny!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Exquisite work. Grant deserves all the accolades he gets and then some. Gifted with immaculate taste. He is a man generous and without pretenses because he does not need to be otherwise. His talent speaks for itself, we will see great things from him. Can't wait.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Try not to gush - it's so unbecoming.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Stunning apartment. Love the Greek Key trim! That blue room is so inviting. I'd love to curl up on that bed and read!

    Ruthie

    ReplyDelete
  38. I love his work and follow his blog! Read his posting about being on the skirted round table.

    ReplyDelete
  39. WOW! What can I say but: THANK YOU to everyone for your comments. As a young designer who did this place on such a shoestring budget- I can't THANK YOU all enough for your words. It inspires me to keep on at the designing (can't think of anything that I would rather do in the world).

    To MyLittleHappyPlace:
    The tree is a fiddle leaf ficus/fig tree.
    They come in all kinds of sizes- but I went for a rather large one for my space. I try to use them in as many projects as I can. Designer Michael Taylor used to use them and I love them (as I am not normally a 'houseplant" kind of person).


    Thank you Joni for your wonderful posting and for the great chat with you and Linda and Megan on SRT

    Grant

    ReplyDelete
  40. what a sweetheart! i love love love his work... thanks for sharing my dear, hope all is well!

    xo katherine aka. urban flea :)
    http://www.urbanfleadesign.net

    ReplyDelete
  41. Great images! I also love the dining room!! So many beautiful selections!!
    Grant is very talented.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I think Grant could be style soul mates with Darryl Carter here in DC (minus the red and blue on his walls. Darryl doesn't do color). But everything else is very like-minded. Thanks for posting!

    ReplyDelete
  43. I love all his choices and especially the fact that he was willing to do the sweat equity and thrify practices. This makes the "common man" (the non-designer) believe that they could accomplish the same.

    The banquette? TO. DIE. FOR. Omigosh. Would I love to be entertained in his home. Everything in the aparttment looks comfortable and inviting.

    ReplyDelete
  44. I was so happy to find others obsessed with Jill Brinson's house in Atlanta. Are there any other photos we haven't seen? Has the house appeared anywhere other than House Beautiful? How about other rooms, houses she has styled?

    ReplyDelete