Leo’s Oyster Bar, San Francisco

The interiors of Leo’s Oyster Bar can best be described as bold sophistication softened by vintage tropical, the sleek marrying the whimsical, and a 1950’s Hollywood star holding hands with a beautiful pin-up girl walking on a beach in Hawaii. It is every bit as classic as it is quirky, or as designer Ken Fulk calls it- “Mad Men goes to Palm Beach”.

Every detail has been carefully chosen. The back-lit, salmon-coloured onyx bar that looks like it is glowing, is fringed by crisp white, rattan stools. The vintage, bronze seashell sconces throw soft, golden light on the brass-trimmed mahogany-panelled walls. The black and white floor tiles serve as a perfect base for the custom-designed palm frond wallpaper that brings to mind tiki cocktails and sunshine.

Brass framed mirrors dot the patterned walls while hanging ferns and potted plants can be found in every corner. Walk into the ‘Hideaway’ lounge and you’ll be greeted by palm wallpaper unfolding across the walls filled with cane sconces and mother-of-pearl chandeliers hanging from a metal tile ceiling.

If this décor piques your interest, don’t shy away from colours, shapes and patterns. Let your walls do the talking with big and bold prints complemented by the golden glow emanating from vintage wall sconces. Allow for a few whimsical pieces like a statement mirror or pendant lights to soften the bold lines of leather club chairs and mosaic tiled flooring.

Take a few creative leaps like hanging round mirrors next to rectangular, framed artwork and placing white rattan chairs around an onyx dining table topped with vintage china. If massive palm frond wallpaper is a bit too much, bring in the tropical feel with palm plants in cane planters. The key is to mix the quirky pieces with sleek mid-century ones to get that balance of the masculine and feminine elements.