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THE HOUSE OF YES

Elle Decor US

|

September 2025

A Tudor Revival in San Francisco gets a kaleidoscopic remake from maximalism's reigning queen, Summer Thornton—with nods to Gustav Klimt, English gardens, and Jerry Garcia.

- Catherine Hong

THE HOUSE OF YES

An Annie Morris sculpture stands in the foyer.

The dining room is visible through the butler's pantry, where the wallcovering is de Gournay's Klimt pattern. Pendant by David Duncan; ceiling, cabinets, and moldings painted in Farrow & Ball's Brinjal. Opposite: A gold leaf ceiling creates a sense of warmth in the oak-paneled dining room.

imageThe family room of Kimberly Saper Sanner's 1912 San Francisco home, which was designed by Summer Thornton and renovated by architect Stephen Sutro. The wallcovering is by de Gournay, and the sofa is by Arflex.

Custom table in cipollino marble; Thomas Newman Studio chairs in a Pierre Frey velvet; Dimoremilano pendant from the Future Perfect; artwork by Erik Madigan Heck. The periwinkle jumpsuit was a sign. When Kimberly Saper Sanner met interior designer Summer Thornton for the first time to discuss the decor of her San Francisco home, Sanner arrived in a vintage Lanvin jumpsuit—the exact pale purplish blue of a de Gournay scenic wallpaper swatch. It felt like cosmic confirmation. “We're wallpaper soulmates,” Sanner says. “I held my leg next to it and said, ‘We match!’”

imageThe dining room is visible through the butler's pantry, where the wallcovering is de Gournay's Klimt pattern. Pendant by David Duncan; ceiling, cabinets, and moldings painted in Farrow & Ball's Brinjal.

Three and a half years—and six de Gournay patterns—later, the women's collaboration has yielded a fantastical, hypercolorful dreamscape. The 1912 Tudor Revival house appears traditional, but inside it is a kaleidoscope of jewel tones, chinoiserie, contemporary art, metallic surfaces, and high-gloss finishes.

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